Yami no Game: Death's Awakening
by Rose Mistress
Summary: Yugi solves the Sennen Puzzle, unaware that he has released two demonic spirits from their prison. With deadly games, they protect their master but they want something, something from their master.
1. Shadows Awakening

Zypher: Well, since I actually was able to see the actual first season of Yugioh, I came up with this little story that will probably be considered a darkfic to some extent. Anyways, hoped you will enjoy this little story, Yami no Game: Death's Awakening.

Summary: Yugi solves the legendary Sennen Puzzle but with its completion unearthed two demonic spirits that promised to do anything to protect him, even if it means deadly games that will ensure the loser's death. Other than this, there is more that the spirits wants other than their charge's safety.

Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh or the songs that may show up in the story somewhere possibly. Only inspired by the first series of Yugioh and the You Tube website which is where you can find clips of this series.

0

Yami no Game: Death's Awakening

Chapter 1

0

For eight years, one child has worked on a mystical item known as the Sennen Puzzle. But what he did not know was the curse that was known to be part of it. Whoever solves the puzzle will be granted the powers of Death and the shadows itself. But the child only thought it was a myth passed down for many generations.

But he will find out soon that it wasn't a myth.

0

"Almost done."

The boy who spoke this soft sentence was Yugi Motou, high school student of Domino High and loner. He didn't have any friends and only lived with his grandfather at the Kame Game shop. The treasure, as he called it, that he was working on was a puzzle that he found sitting in the darkest corner of the shop, like it was placed there so it would never be found. He was intrigued by the puzzle and made it his goal to complete it. And so he did, using every spare moment he had to work on it.

After eight years, he was close to being done, but he never knew of the danger lurking in the shadows with the puzzle's completion.

He smiled as he fitted the last piece into place. "Finally, I'm done!" he said with glee. The puzzle now started to glow with a dark light and he watched, curious and slightly afraid. Soon, the glow engulfed him and pulled his soul into the puzzle.

0

He opened his eyes slowly and looked around before finding that he wasn't in his room. _'What happened? I remember finally completing the puzzle and then a dark glow engulfing me. Where did it take me?'_ he wondered as he stood up. He examined to room and saw toys and games littering the floor.

He looked up and saw a door that led out and he walked over, opening it and saw he was now in a long hallway, another door, made of metal, sitting across from him with the engraving of an eye on it. There was hieroglyphics written on it that said this:

_Whoever opens this door will release two demon spirits from their eternal rest and will only obey the one that has dare do such a task. The one who has opened the door will be cursed with the powers of shadows and death and the spirits will punish those that have tried to harm their master with a yami no game which could mean death to the loser._

Of course, he wasn't taught to read hieroglyphics so he expected the door to be harmless and walked over. He opened it and saw nothing but darkness inside. He walked inside and the door slammed shut behind him, engulfing him in complete darkness. He wrapped his arms around himself as he walked through the dark room.

0

In another part of the room, two shadows moved before one opened piercing cerise eyes. _'So, someone has completed the puzzle...'_he thought before smirking, showing rows of sharp teeth. _'Wonderful.'_ he thought once more as he woke up the other and they soon disappeared to find the one that has completed the puzzle.

0

"Is anyone here? Anyone?" he called but got no response. "Who am I kidding? There can't be a soul living in here. I still have no clue where I am." Yugi whispered to himself. He then heard footsteps and looked around.

"Is anyone there?" he questioned but whoever was there didn't respond, only continued walking. Yugi started to become scared at whoever was possibly coming his way and started to run blindly through the darkness.

He heard the footsteps coming closer and felt himself trip, landing on the ground harshly. He covered his head with his arms, hoping that whatever was coming towards him will just bypass him. The footsteps stopped beside him and the figure knelt down beside him.

"Such a being of light that has entered our prison. You must be the one that has completed the puzzle." The baritone voice spoke softly and he felt the person lifting him up.

"My friend, take him to a bed and get him comfortable. If he wakes, answer whatever questions he has to ask." The voice spoke once more and he felt himself be passed off to someone else, only he felt cool scales against his pale skin.

"As you wish." The other whispered and carried him off.

0

When he was laying upon something soft did he open his eyes. He looked around, trying to look for the one that brought him here and saw a sleek figure over at a table. The figure looked up and Yugi gasped, seeing it was a dragon.

"Ah, I see you're awake." he whispered as he walked over to him but he only backed up. "No need to fear me. I won't hurt you."

"But, who are you?" Yugi asked.

"I'm Aqua and the one that found you earlier was my friend and brother, Yami. We were locked in the puzzle for a while before you released us from the binds that **_they_** placed on us." Aqua explained. He nodded, still watching him warily.

"How did you get trapped in the puzzle?" he asked. "Well, that is a long story but I will be willing to tell you if you wish." Aqua said and Yugi nodded. "Yes, I want to know more about the puzzle and to see if the myths are true."

"What myths?" Aqua asked. "The myths about two demonic spirits and the dark games they play upon those that hurt the one who possesses the puzzle. You're not one of those dark spirits are you?" he questioned. "Maybe our story will answer those questions." Aqua replied as he started telling the story.

Once he was done, leaving out parts that led them into becoming demons that feasted on flesh and souls, Yugi was in awe. "Wow that must really be harsh." Yugi whispered. "Yes, it was but we have managed." Aqua said. Yugi only nodded before he realized something.

"Oh no! I must be getting back now! My grandfather must be wondering where I am right now." Aqua waved a hand. "No need to worry, what you are here is nothing but your soul. Your real body is still outside of the puzzle but if you wish to go back, you can." Aqua assured.

"That will be nice. I do have school tomorrow so I need to get to bed. I can come and see you again, right?" Yugi asked. "Yes, you can come anytime when you need us and if you want, we can also come out of the puzzle to accompany you." he replied.

"Ok then." Yugi said with a small smile. "Now, close your eyes and I'll take you back outside." Aqua whispered and he did so. Aqua smirked softly as he became part of the shadows, glowing crimson eyes looked upon him from the shadows as the Sennen eye appeared.

_"You may know of our past little one but the curse has yet to begun."_ he spoke softly as the shadows engulfed him.

_"The yami no game will soon be played and those souls that lose will become our sustenance."_

0

Yugi woke up back in room and in his bed, hearing his grandfather call him down for breakfast. He looked over to his desk and saw the puzzle still sitting there. He smiled as he stood up, moving around the room to get his school uniform and things before walking back over to the table and picking up the puzzle. Finding a piece of rope, he tied it around the loop before slipping it around his neck and headed downstairs.

His grandfather looked to him and smiled, bidding him good morning before he saw the puzzle around his neck and froze in fear. _'How did he find it? I thought I kept it hidden.'_he thought. _'He must've found it when I wasn't watching and completed it. I must get it away from him before the first yami no game commences and opens the gates to darkness and death.'_

But as that thought came to past, Yugi's shadow seemed to darkened and grew along the wall behind him. Solid cerise eyes opened and seemed to narrow down on him, the Sennen eye glowing just above them.

Yugi watched his grandfather's reaction. "Is something wrong, jii-chan?" he asked and he was brought out of his daze, the shadows behind him returning to normal. "No, nothing is wrong. Go ahead and eat before leaving out for school." he said, deep in his heart worrying for Yugi's safety now that the spirits were released.

0

Yugi trudged along, somewhat dreading going to school. He was bullied most of the time and no one bothered to help him, seeing him as weak and insignificant. He made it to the school gates and taking a deep breath, walked in. _'So far, so good.'_ he thought as he made it into the building.

He was about to sprint to his class until he bumped into a large form and fell back. He gulped and looked up, seeing Ushio standing there. "Hey punk. Are you ready for your morning beating?" Ushio asked, looking down at him before spotting the puzzle around his neck.

"Or maybe you can just give me that little trinket."

"I can't." Yugi whispered. "And why not?!" he growled, eyes narrowed. "Because, it's my treasure."

"Well, it's mine now!" Ushio reached down to grab it but when he got a hold of it, the puzzle glowed, becoming red hot and scorched his hand. He yelped and stumbled back. Yugi was shocked at the sudden attack but only watched as Ushio stumbled back in pain.

He held his burned hand and glared at him. "You'll pay for that." Ushio sneered before leaving. Yugi watched as he left before placing a hand on the puzzle, getting up from the floor. He never noticed the glow dimming down.

_'Hopefully nothing else will happen.'_ he thought as he made his way to his class.

0

Inside the puzzle, Yami looked up as the big bully that tormented Yugi left and smirked. "Muscled, probably a small mind to feast off of but either way, his flesh makes up for that. I think he'll work as a perfect starting meal and of course, all souls that tortured our new master will have to go through a yami no game and I have the perfect challenge for him." Yami said, tongue flicking at his fangs.

Aqua appeared beside him. "But what about Yugi? We can't have him notice this or else he may try and take apart the puzzle once he finds out we're the demonic spirits of the myth." Aqua pointed out.

"Don't worry about that. Our little game won't commence until he's asleep tonight. Besides, he will soon be ours anyway. Something as pure as him will not be lost to someone else. He has completed the puzzle so he will be our mate as you can say once we consume enough souls to accommodate for a body outside the puzzle longer that just to enact punishment onto those that dares to harm Yugi." Yami said.

Aqua nodded and licked his jaws. "Hopefully we won't have to wait long. It's been a while since we had a fresh meal." he said. "I know but I'm sure we won't have to wait too long."

0

The school day pretty much went without anything happening to him and as the final school bell rang, he calmly left out the school doors, heading home. But as he went past an empty alleyway, he was grabbed by a large hand and dragged in.

The person threw him up against the wall and Yugi let out a pained whimper as he slid to the ground. "For that little act you did to me, you're going to pay for it." Ushio grounded out as he slammed his foot upon Yugi's chest, missing the puzzle slightly and he coughed as the pressure was put onto him.

"What did I do?" he whispered with a cough but Ushio didn't answer, only slammed his foot down on him again, making him cough up blood.

Ushio laughed as he continued to slam his foot onto Yugi's chest, unaware of the puzzle glowing with a dark glow.

He laughed once more but didn't see the growing shadows around them until he felt his foot hitting the wall instead of Yugi. He looked down and saw he was gone. "But how could he have gotten away? I would've noticed it." he snarled, looking around the darkened alleyway.

0

While Ushio was having too much fun with trying to crush Yugi's chest, he never noticed the growing shadows and Yugi was wrapped in the shadows' embrace before being brought into them. Aqua had his wings wrapped around his small form, gently brushing a strand of hair from his face with his claw. "You're safe now, little one." he whispered as he laid him upon a form of shadows before he left.

While Ushio was too busy looking around for Yugi, he didn't see them coming from the shadows, solid cerise and crimson eyes glowing in the shadows and Sennen eye burning brightly.

_"You will pay for hurting the boy, Ushio. Now you must commence in a yami no game for your life."_

When he heard that, he turned to see them glaring at him from the shadows and almost stepped back in fear but steeled himself just to stand up to them. "And what if I don't?" he said. The shadows disappeared from them like a blanket, showing him who they really were and Yami hissed, showing his fangs._"Then we'll devour you and your soul here and now. You have this chance to save yourself from Death."_ Yami said.

"Fine. I'll participate in this _game_ of yours." Ushio said and Yami smirked. "Fine by me." he whispered and soon, the shadows engulfed them.

0

Ushio opened his eyes from the initial blackness and saw him hanging over a pool of dark water. He was shocked and held onto his only support as he looked over and saw Yami in the same position but no sign of Aqua.

"Who are you and why did you bring me here?" he shouted. Yami only laughed. "Why, this is the game. As you can see, were hanging by only a mere rope." he said before a column of cards appeared between them.

"And with each turn, we'll pick a card, whatever is on the card will be how much we move forward. Whoever reached the gem at the end wins. But, if you don't follows the rules," Yami explained, cerise eyes flashing for a fraction of a second. "Then the shadows will consume you and the only thing you will remember is your pathetic life of bullying and scrounging money from the people you hurt." he hissed.

"Fine. I'll go first." Ushio said, picking up one and saw it was three of hearts. He moved forward and Yami back. Yami picked up one and it was ten of diamonds. He climbed up ten and Ushio was dragged down, getting closer to the pool. He picked another one and it was nine of spades. He climbed up, glaring towards Yami who chose another and it was ace of hearts.

The game continued on until Yami was closest to the top. He was only five spaces away and it was his turn. Ushio growled, seeing as he lost his turn thanks to a joker. "This will end this." he said as he picked up the last one and it was indeed, five of clubs.

He climbed the rest of the way and grabbed the gem. Ushio growled and taking hold of his rope, he climbed up as well. "You may have won but that doesn't mean I can't kill you." he said as he pulled out a hidden pocket knife and cut the rope and watched as Yami fell towards the pool but saw something dark appear behind him.

Wings snapped out from behind him and he flipped before taking to the air. He looked over to Ushio, Sennen eye glowing upon his forehead. "You have disobeyed and now you must face the punishment which is death." Yami whispered and soon, the formation of rock that they were hanging on started the crumble and Ushio lost his grip, falling towards the dark pool. Ushio started to scream out in terror as he fell but remember that it was still safe for him for the water below had to be just ordinary water.

"I'll land safely in the water." Ushio whispered but then saw the water start to ripple until Aqua burst from the waters, mouth open wide and rows of needle sharp teeth ready to clamp down on him.

He screamed in fear now and in the moment of shock, thought he was still supported by the rope and grabbed onto it but saw it was cut from when he was trying to kill Yami. He let out one final yell as Aqua clamped down on his upper body and dragged him under the waters with a splash. Yami watched silently, eyes narrowed.

"If you were still alive, let that be a lesson to you." Yami whispered and soon, shadows engulfed the cavern.

0

They were back in the alleyway now, Ushio's body now devoid of a soul. Blank eyes stared up at the sky as Yami and Aqua stood above him. "Your life was filled with nothing but the will to hurt others but your reign has now ended." Yami hissed.

They made sure no one was walking across the alley opening at the time before the knelt down, ripping away Ushio's school uniform before they started to tear into his flesh. They took away huge chunks, swallowing it whole and licked away any blood that seeped out from the damaged flesh.

They ripped, gnawed and tore flesh ravenously until nothing but the skeleton and blood that pooled around the corpse was left. They stood up once more and Aqua patted his stomach in satisfaction. "That's the best meal I had in a while. Maybe other meals will be just as satisfying." he said, looking over to Yami.

"I'm sure they will. But for now, we must let Yugi get back home. Ushio's soul alone isn't strong enough to let us stay out longer. He may have been strong on the outside but his soul was weak." Yami said as shadows covered the alley once more and soon traveled back to the game shop, leaving only the fleshless corpse of Ushio.

0

The shadows seeped into Yugi's room and consumed the bed before disappearing back into the puzzle, leaving Yugi's now healed form sleeping on the bed. The silhouettes of Yami and Aqua took over his shadow that showed upon the wall from the setting sun, two pairs of solid gold eyes watching over him.

The demon spirits were now released and plan to give death to those that hurt their chosen one. The yami no games were reborn and no one was safe for Death was upon them.

0

Zypher: And that's all for the first chapter. This story probably won't be bone chilling scary cause I suck at that but either way, I hoped you have enjoyed and will leave a review.

Note: The challenge that I used was the same one that was used on Ushio in the first series of Yugioh, just changed slightly and involved death, not showing Ushio's true fear which made him into a sniveling child. You can see this episode on You Tube, just search for "Ep.-1 The Battle Starts! A Shadow Game!" but it will take a while to load. There is also another one on there along with clips (two of them being music clips) from other episodes so you can look for those as well.


	2. Countdown Initiated

Zypher: I thank you all for reading and reviewing. So here's the next chapter to enjoy.

Note: Idea for this chapter in inspired by the Mittenacht yugioh music clip from Youtube. Watch and listen closely to the music, not the vocals, (preferably at the start of the clip) and you may find the similarity. If not, I'll possibly tell you somewhere in the story (most likely the start).

0

Yami no Game: Death's Awakening

Chapter 2

0

In the dark shadows of Yami and Aqua's soul room, the faint ticks of a clock were heard. A medium sized gold watch (think of a pocket watch without the top covering) hanging by a chain was slowly ticking away. Crimson eyes fazed into vision and looked down to the watch, a smirk forming through the bleak shadows as shadowy claws held the item.

_"Soon, the time will come and you will be ours, Hikari Yugi. No one will dare try and stop us or else it'll be their life."_

0

After the next day of school came to pass, Yugi headed home quietly, thinking about what he heard while he was in school.

-Flashback-

"Hey, did you hear?" One student spoke.

"What is it?" Another said.

"On the news, they said it was a murder of unrealistic proportions. The police found a corpse in the alleyway and it was completely devoid of flesh. They said it was one of the students here and it was soon confirmed that it was Ushio because of the ripped disciplinary group's captain band that he always wore." the first student explained.

"Wow. Who could've done such a thing? It sounded like a beast did it if there was no flesh on the bones. Not even the skilled of killers could do such a thing." the second student said.

The students continued to speak of the event, Yugi quietly standing behind the corner to listen. _'I wonder who could've done such a thing. Whoever it was must've done it to help me but they didn't have to be so cruel and kill him.'_ he thought.

/But, Yugi, it could've possibly been for the best./ Yami's voice floated through his mind like a gentle whisper. "I know, Yami, but did they really have to kill him so brutally?" he questioned.

/Probably not but I think it may have been the best idea cause I can bet even trying to threaten him wouldn't stop him from hurting you or others./ he answered.

"Yes, you could be right about that." Yugi murmured before walking off to his class.

-End Flashback-

_'I know Yami told me to not worry about it but it seems so cruel that someone would kill just to help me.'_ Yugi thought as he walked inside the Game Shop, greeting his grandfather before heading upstairs. When he was in his room, Yami appeared, sitting on his bed.

/Are you still thinking about what those kids said?/ he asked. "Yeah, I know I shouldn't be worrying about it but who, in this whole entire city, would come and save me but kill another? I just can't get that thought to leave." Yugi said.

Yami stood and walked over to him, placing a transparent hand on his shoulder. /Don't worry yourself over it. Remember, it wasn't your fault in the first place. It was Ushio's fault for messing with you so he was given the punishment he deserved. Not matter how brutal it was to another's eye./ Yami said. He nodded and once Yami left to go back into the puzzle, he picked up his bag and got started on his homework.

0

The next day went calmly and Yugi left out of school with a happy demeanor. Aqua appeared beside him and smiled softly. /You are happy today./ he said. "I know. It just feels so right to not be bullied anymore. Some kids still taunt me behind my back but it doesn't matter to me anymore." Yugi said.

/That's good to know./ Aqua praised. Yugi looked up to him before spotting the clock resting just beneath the broad collar he wore. "Hey, Aqua, what's with that watch? I never saw you wear it when we first met." Yugi pointed out.

/Oh this?/ He touched the watch lightly before smiling down to Yugi. /Oh, it's nothing important. Just something I wear on occasions./

_'Such as the amount of time you have before you truly become our mate for eternity.'_ he thought with an inward smirk. "Oh, ok then. I think I'll take a walk through the park." he said.

/Be careful and if you need any help, just call on us./ Aqua spoke before his transparent form became wispy shadows and went back into the puzzle. Once he was safely back in the puzzle, Yugi started making his way towards the park.

0

Jounouchi, or Jou for short was walking along the sidewalk, bored out of his mind but was also curious of the suspicious death of Ushio. He knew about the way he bullied Yugi and he can only suspect that Yugi may know something about it but he was never able to find the petite student anywhere. _'He must know something cause I know Ushio would use any time, before, after and in between school, to mess with Yugi but where could he have gone?'_ he thought to himself.

He then finally spotted Yugi heading towards the park and followed him.

0

Yugi sat on a bench and reveled in the peace of the park. The birds singing. The fountain spewing water into the pool with a soft splash. Everything was perfectly peaceful and Yugi thought the same. But what he didn't know was that a thief was watching from afar, particularly interested in the puzzle. _'That little trinket can fetch me a pretty penny.'_ he thought and quietly started to make his move.

Jou made his way to the park and started looking for Yugi, losing him among the many paths. _'Now where could he have gone?'_ he thought. He soon spotted him and was going to walk over until he saw the thief coming up behind him.

"Yugi! Watch out!" he shouted but was too late. Yugi look up to see who called and the thief covered his mouth before running off with him in tow. Jou ran after him, hoping to catch up before something happened.

0

Yugi struggled in the man's grip, trying to get away. They reached an abandoned part of the park and the thief threw him down. Yugi looked up to him. "What do you want with me?" Yugi questioned. "Why, to take that little trinket off of you but of course, I couldn't have any witnesses." The thief said as he grabbed at the rope but Yugi tugged at it as well.

"No! Let go!" Yugi cried as he tugged back, trying to get away from the thief all together. "Let go of him!" A voice called and they both looked up to see Jou running towards the thief, giving him a good left hook against his jaw, making him lose the grip he had on the puzzle.

Of course, both Yami and Aqua felt the disturbance and someone else's presence trying to take the puzzle away and they know that would simply not do. Shadows seeped out from the puzzle, covering the area slowly. Jou was about to beat up the thief when he saw the shadows and started to freeze up in fear, along with the thief.

He then turned to Yugi and saw shadows wrapping around him and dragging him into the inviting darkness and he ran towards him. "Yugi!" he called and tried to reach out for him but missed as the shadows dragged him inside but the thing that shocked Jou was that he didn't resist. "Yugi! Where are you?!" he called once again as he stood, looking around the now darkened forest, trees now bare of leaves and swaying in the faint wind.

_"He's with us now and I suggest you leave unless you want to become part of this game of life or death."_ A voice said menacingly and he turned to where he heard it, seeing a silhouette of a dragon, crimson eyes looking down at him with the watch still ticking slowly.

Jou nodded slowly and once the shadows parted to let him leave, he ran out and they closed up once more to seal away any entry. _'I shouldn't have ran but how am I supposed to save Yugi now?'_ he thought.

0

The thief tried to run out as well but when the shadows sealed him inside, he looked towards Aqua's silhouette.

_"You dare hurt our little light and tried to take us away from him. Such punishment means death but for your sake, we'll give you one more chance. We'll play a Yami no game for your life and if you lose, your soul and body is ours."_ Aqua spoke darkly and the thief nodded.

"W-what am I to d-do?" he spoke. The watch flashed with a golden light and Aqua's eyes narrowed in malicious glee.

_"You have a set time limit to find our little hikari's treasure through this darkened forest. Many traps will await you but if you are able to find it, you will be set free and have what you desire in hand without consequences but once it lines up at twelve, your fate is sealed."_

The thief nodded fearfully.

_"Your time starts now."_ he whispered and disappeared but the clock stayed and it was now ticking normally, the hour hand at the twelve already and the minute hand at ten, leaving him with only ten minutes.

The thief started to run blindly through the forest, the ticking seemingly growing louder with each passing second. He avoided many traps consisting of grasping branches and binding vines as he looked through bushes, mounds and trees alike but no sign of the puzzle.

_"Five minute left, foolish human."_

The thief, terrified at the amount of time he had left, now started to try finding a way out but the forest seemed endless. Seconds continued to tick away, making him more terrified at the growing shadows as he ran through the dead, dark forest, looking for a way out as the ticking from the clock pounded his ears like his heartbeat.

_"One minute left."_

The thief started to sweat profusely and looked around quickly, looking for any sign of an opening. He finally saw a light at the end of a path, showing the regular park and he ran towards it, unaware of the evil chuckle emitting from Aqua.

_"Your death awaits you, fool. The gates of hell have been opened."_ he said as the thief ran through the light but it was nothing but an illusion and the image shattered like glass. The thief screamed as he fell into an endless abyss. He looked down and saw the clock that kept track of his time.

_Five..._

_Four..._

_Three..._

_Two..._

_One..._

0

Jou continued to watch the shadows, still frozen in fear about what could be happening to Yugi. _'I hope whatever it is didn't hurt him. That's what I'm most worried about. He doesn't deserve this.'_ he thought, wishing there was some way he could find Yugi through the shadows but knew it may probably be futile.

He heard the thief scream and looked up. _'What's going on in there?'_ he wondered as he watched the shadows.

0

_"Your time is up."_ Aqua said as the thief fell through the clock face, shattering it into many glittering shards. He hit the ground harshly and he slowly looked up, now seeing Aqua without the shadows covering him.

Another came up beside him and the thief thought of him looking exactly like Yugi. _'What is this? Is that kid some sort of demon?'_ he thought as he looked into the deadly cerise and crimson eyes.

_"You have failed and now your punishment will be dealt upon you. You should learn to never mess with the shadows of death incarnate."_ Yami spoke softly as the Sennen eye glowed upon his forehead, causing the shadows to start slithering towards the paralyzed thief. The thief tried to run but he couldn't move and screamed once more as the shadows engulfed him.

Yami licked his lips in hunger as the illusion soon disappeared, leaving his disembodied soul floating over his cold form. The bodied version of his soul became a sphere and wisps of it slowly started to seep into their mouths, fueling their energies and bringing them closer to gaining a body. Once the absorption was completed, they started feasting on the body.

0

Jou continued to watch the shadows, thinking about running in there himself and demanding to know what going on when he saw the shadows starting to evaporate away and he saw the skeleton of the thief now lying on the ground.

His eyes widened as he fell back from the shock, scooting back quickly. _'What happened in there?'_ he thought, fearing that the shadows may attack him but they didn't and he almost thought he saw the form of two winged beings flying off, one holding Yugi's sleeping form.

_'Whatever happened, I need to find out and quickly before Yugi gets hurt by whatever killed that thief.'_ he thought as he finally got up and ran towards the game shop.

0

They slipped into his bedroom silently and Yami laid Yugi down on the bed, gently caressing his face afterwards. _'Soon, my little light. Soon you will be with us more than just our master.'_ he thought as he leaned down, placing a gentle kiss upon his forehead.

They soon became wisps of shadows and went back into the puzzle, shadowed silhouettes once more watching over him as the puzzle glowed faintly.

0

Zypher: And that all for this chapter. This probably might be the best one, at least to me, that I have written. But I thank my mood music which was Mittenacht by E Nomine. Best way how you can listen to it is probably from the Yugioh vid from Youtube. Anyways, hoped you enjoyed and will be eagerly waiting for the next. See you in the next chapter.


	3. Digital Pet Craze

Zypher: Thank you all so much! I just so happy you all love this story and I want to say that I won't be killing Jou off. That would be cruel of me to do. I love him just like any other and I would never do anything that would result in him getting killed. Anyways, here's the next chapter of Yami no Game: Death's Awakening.

0

Yami no Game: Death's Awakening

Chapter 3

0

Yugi shifted and whimpered as he slept, a dream occurring to him that wasn't at all friendly.

-Dream-

Yugi opened his eyes and saw that Domino City was now in ruin. "What happened here?" he wondered and got up before running across the street now devoid of cars and people. He saw an explosion happen not far from where he stood and ran towards that direction, faintly hearing maniacal laughter.

_"You can never stop us! As long as our charge has the puzzle, we're unbeatable and we kept him hidden somewhere where you pathetic humans won't find him!"_ A voice spoke, sounding oddly familiar and when he finally got there, he gasped.

Yami was beating his wings slowly as he hovered over the body of a dead commander while troops of men held guns up to him. In his hand, or preferably claws, he held his soul. He grinned as he swallowed it, strengthening him more and he blew away the group of soldiers coming towards him with his shadows.

"Mou hitori no boku, why are you killing people for?" he whispered as he went closer and Yami's ears perked up as he heard his footsteps. He turned and gasped, seeing Yugi standing there but he was more afraid at seeing the fearful look Yugi donned.

Yugi was stunned, seeing him covered in blood from his many defeated foes and not only that, but he wasn't at all the way he remembered him. "What happened to you? Why are you like this? I thought you said the myths weren't true!" he cried, his voice rising with each question. Yami hissed and looked down, landing quietly down on the ground.

"We're sorry, mou hitori no ore. We're sorry we lied to you but we had to. You knew of the myths and if we told you we were those spirits, you probably would've taken the puzzle apart and we couldn't allow that since you are the one we wanted after so long." Yami murmured.

"What do you mean?" he asked softly. "You are the one, that one soul of pure light that we want to take as our own for all eternity. We want you, aibou, but we couldn't have you take apart the puzzle when you found out we're demons." Yami spoke.

"But you can't just expect that I would agree to this! If I knew you and Aqua would do nothing but cause pain and death to others, I would've never picked up the puzzle! I never would've met you and the city, much less the world, won't have to worry about _you_!" he said as he took the puzzle into his hands and was about the smash it on the ground if he didn't hear a roar and Aqua grabbing onto his arms, shadows gripping the puzzle.

"Yugi-dono, we can't let you do this. We won't be sealed away into the shadows again. You are ours, Hikari Yugi, as we are yours and we will wait forever until you can accept this." Aqua whispered.

"No! I will never agree! Let go of me! Please, let go!" he screamed as the scene turned black.

-End Dream-

He shot up in his bed, cold sweat running down his face. _'No, I can't believe such a thing would happen. Mou hitori no boku and Aqua are nice. They won't really murder people. I won't believe it.'_ he thought as he got up, seeing it was close to night and started heading downstairs when he saw his jii-chan talking with Jounouchi. He looked up to him and waved him over.

"Yugi, we need to talk." His jii-chan said.

0

Inside the puzzle, Yami hissed. "I knew I should've killed him but I couldn't. His intentions were good and he wanted to know Yugi was safe. I won't dare harm one that wants to make sure mou hitori no ore is safe." he said. "But what if he interferes and convinces him to take apart the puzzle? We can't let that happen." Aqua whispered.

"I know but I rather not kill him than to do so and have mou hitori no ore take it apart for that reason." Yami commented. He nodded.

"Hopefully, by some sort of fate, Yugi will accept us for who we are and will still keep the puzzle."

0

Outside, Yugi was watching his jii-chan warily. "What's going on?" he asked. "Yugi, you need to give up the puzzle." he said without argument. Yugi gripped the puzzle in small hands. "No, I won't." Yugi whispered.

"But you have to, Yugi. Jounouchi here told me what he witnessed at the park today and that was work of those spirits that live inside of the puzzle. Soon, they will have enough power to have a body and their first target will be you but even we don't know of their intentions but it may not be good for you." Sugoroku said.

"Yeah and if they plan to do something terrible to you, we won't be able to help. You need to get rid of the puzzle now while they're still weak." Jou said. "I can't. I haven't witnessing doing anything that would relate to the myths so why should I believe you?" he said as he held the puzzle tighter.

"That's the point, Yugi. The only reason you never witness them doing anything because they take your body to another dimension, more or less your soul room and initiate the yami no game on the one that harmed or hurt you. Jou told me that he was there when the last one was done on the thief that tried to steal the puzzle from you and they were probably the ones that killed the school bully that was messing with you all the time when they learned of it."

"They don't want anything to happen to you and they will kill in order to make sure the ones that hurt you won't come back and they use the flesh and soul of their defeated foes to strengthen their powers." Sugoroku said.

"You need to get rid of it for you are the only one who can." he continued. "No! I won't! I don't care what you say!" Yugi yelled as he got up and ran back up to his room in tears. They watched him before Jou turned back to Sugoroku. "What are we going to do?" Jou questioned. "I don't know. The decision is on him now." Sugoroku replied.

0

Yugi was crying softly as he laid upon his bed. The puzzle glowed faintly and both Yami and Aqua came out, sitting next to him in their transparent forms. /What's wrong, aibou?/ Yami asked. "My jii-chan was trying to tell me to take apart the puzzle, telling me that those myths about the puzzle were true and that you both were the demonic spirits." Yugi cried. "I don't want to believe that cause if you two were demonic spirits, you probably won't be wasting your time on me." he continued as he looked to them.

/Yugi, whether demonic or not, we will still stay by your side. You're our aibou and we won't leave you no matter what./ Aqua assured. They both stood and Yami covered the small boy under his sheets.

/Now why don't you get some rest. By the time you wake again, everything will be back to the way it was, with no one telling you to get rid of the puzzle./ Yami whispered and he nodded as he buried his tear stained face into his pillow and was soon quietly sleeping.

Yami's eyes flashed as he turned away from the bed. /Come on, Aqua. We have some mind alterations to do./ he muttered and they both left out the room.

0

Jou thanked Sugoroku for his hospitality, the older man asking him if he would like to stay for the night which he was grateful for. So he was now being led to his room, both unaware of the two spirits following behind them. After leading Jou to the guest room, he started making his way back downstairs to cook dinner.

Yami followed behind him while Aqua followed Jou into the room. He watched him silently before placing his claws upon his head, making him gasp. /Time for you to forget you ever saw that yami no game./ Aqua hissed as he absorbed the last few minutes of that little conversation and when he witnessed the game, placing in false memories to reassure the reason why he was here now.

When the memory replacement was done, he left the room silently.

0

Downstairs, Yami was doing the same to Sugoroku and when he was done, he left him to finish up what he was doing. /Let this be a lesson to you. We will never leave Yugi's side and we won't tolerate others to force him into making a choice that could be harmful to us both./ Yami whispered as he and Aqua entered his room and went back into the puzzle.

0

Yugi woke up and heard his jii-chan calling them down for dinner. He got up from bed, rubbing his eyes as he made his way downstairs. Still remembering the argument he had with his grandfather, he was about to not acknowledge him until he think he was over the thought of him getting rid of the puzzle. Sugoroku fixed his plate and placed it down in front of him before seeing his darkened look. "What's wrong, Yugi?" he asked. "Nothing's wrong." he said as he started to eat.

"Are you sure? There's no one bullying you at school is it?" he asked. Yugi looked up to him, a little shocked. _'Where did this come from? The last minute, he was arguing with me about the puzzle.'_ he thought and shook his head. "No, it was something else that happened but it doesn't matter anymore." Yugi said and he nodded as he made another plate for Jou before taking his own.

Jou walked downstairs and greeted them both before he sat down and ate._'Something's wrong here but I'm not going to worry about it. At least I don't have to worry about them trying anything to take the puzzle from me. But what if it's all a ploy to get me to fall for it?'_ Yugi thought and gripped the puzzle.

_'No, I'm not going to fall for it. I'm not going to lose mou hitori no boku and Aqua.'_ he thought before he continued to eat.

0

As weeks passed, Yugi kept his eye on his grandfather and seeing that he wasn't even worrying about the puzzle and its myth, he calmed down a bit, knowing that the two spirits were safe. When he went to school the next day, he encountered Jou who was holding a new keychain. "Hey, Yugi! Did you hear about the new game that was going around in school?" Jou asked.

"No, what is it?" he asked. Jou showed him the keychain. "It's a new digital pet game where you can take care of your own pet. But I've been hearing about some kids who have these special pets that feast off others and I'm starting to get worried about that." Jou murmured.

"Really. That sounds pretty cool. I may just get my own and hopefully I'll avoid those that have those unique pets." Yugi said as he walked with Jou to his class before heading to his own.

0

During lunch, he was hearing about Kujirada having one of the special pets and was currently taking others without remorse. _'Of course, let it be someone who bullies others to have that kind of pet.'_ he thought.

Yami appeared beside him. /Don't worry, he'll get what's coming to him soon. All those that bully others will be punished in some way./ Yami said. He nodded. "I hope so." he said before he got his lunch and went to sit at a table, Jou coming to sit beside him.

0

As soon as school was over, Jou dragged him over to the shop that sold the digital pets and Yugi brought himself one, finding interest in the new game, before he and Jou parted ways.

As he walked, he entered in the info for his pet and his pet came up on the screen, looking like him in a way. "He's so adorable and he looks just like me. I'll call him U2." Yugi said as he made his way back home, taking care of his pet along the way.

0

When he went into school the next day, he saw Anzu being taunted by Kujirada. "Hey, Anzu, your pet looks so pathetic it probably won't fill my beast." Kujirada said. "Oh yeah, if she had the power, she could beat that foul thing you call a pet." Anzu countered. He only laughed and grabbed her keychain before she could react.

"Give her back!" she yelled as she jumped for it but she missed. "Sorry but she's food now." Kujirada gloated as he connected both pets and his toad-like pet came over to Anzu's screen, grabbing her pet before greedily gobbling her up before returning to his own screen. "No!" she screamed as he threw her blank keychain towards her and it landed on the floor in front of her.

"Thank for giving my pet a good meal." he said before walking off, laughing. Yugi walked over to her and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. She growled and shoved him away. "I don't need no sympathy from some pathetic runt!" she growled before getting up, taking her keychain with her and walked off.

Yami and Aqua growled from within the puzzle and U2, who stayed hidden from the monstrous beast, came out and chirped softly, feeling his master's sadness. Yugi took out the keychain and looked to him. "Don't worry, I'm fine." he whispered and U2 chirped happily.

He pocketed his keychain and headed to class, unaware the Kujirada watched him throughout his little ordeal and smirked. _'Looks like I found my new prey.'_he thought maliciously.

0

As school ended, Yugi was placing his stuff into his locker that he didn't need when he saw a note. He picked it up and read it quickly before gasping._'Jou's in trouble with Kujirada? I need to go help him!'_ he thought as he ran back into the school, heading towards the location he was supposed to meet them.

0

Kujirada laughed as he waited. _'That fool! He would really think that Jou would be here! He so naive but that what makes this so easy.'_ His pet gave a rumbling growl and he looked down to it. "Don't worry, my pet. Soon, your meal will be here."

0

He walked into the dark sports room closet which was pretty big and looked around. "Jou? Are you here?" he called and heard footsteps. U2 chirped fearfully and Yugi looked towards the darkness, seeing Kujirada there.

His eyes narrowed. "Kujirada! What did you do with Jou?" he demanded. "Nothing. He's not even here. I wrote that note just to get you here alone and now, your little pet will become food for mine and no one's here to stop me!" he said and started laughing.

He didn't see the dark shadows gathering through the room until he realized it was darker than it should be. "What's going on here?" he questioned looking to where Yugi stood but saw he wasn't there, only a silhouette with glowing cerise eyes.

_"You dare try and make a meal out of our master's digital pet? Such disrespect deserves a yami no game. Let's just see how your beast fares against his."_ Yami spoke as he came from the shadows with Yugi's keychain in hand.

"Fine with me. His defeat will make my pet's meal all the sweeter." Kujirada grumbled. _"Let's just see whose meal will be sweet."_he hissed as they connected their key chains together. Kujirada's beast started walking towards U2 and he started to panic, chirping frantically as he tried to find a place to hide. "Don't worry, just fight. I advise you, you will win." Yami spoke and the small pet looked up to him, not recognizing him as his master but still trusted him.

He prepared himself and when the giant beast was there, he jumped in to attack, punching at the beast but even as large as he was, he was able to dodge each hit and grab the smaller pet in his claws. "Ha! Looks like I win!" Kujirada gloated.

_"Not for long."_ Yami spoke and Kujirada soon heard the beeping of evolution and looked down, seeing Yugi's pet evolving into a demonic, draconic beast. U2 broke from the other pet's grip and with deadly crimson eyes looking upon the other, he grinned, showing rows of sharp fangs and leapt at the beast once more.

Kujirada's pet now feared him and tried to run back to his own screen but before he could make a move, U2 landed on him and just like how he does with those he feasted on, he did the same, without remorse towards him or his owner. "No! How can that scrawny pet become such a beast? Not only that but how can he be that powerful? He's not even a special pet!" Kujirada exclaimed.

_"He doesn't have to be special or unique to be powerful. Our master has placed in his own thoughts and feelings into the creation of his pet and that makes him equal in power to us since we rests within his soul. We are powerful that any mortal being and no one can surpass our power except for our master."_ He gave a chuckle.

_"But for now, you don't need to concern yourself with this since you are about to encounter your punishment for not only trying to take our master's digital pet for your selfish gain but to others that have suffered the same fate."_ Yami snarled.

_'Of course, that girl probably deserved it. She didn't care for aibou's sympathy when she lost hers. He tried to comfort and she only pushed him away. She may be next on my list.'_ he thought.

"No? You can't do this to me!" Kujirada cried. _"I can and I will."_ Yami said as he grinned, showing his own fangs and in their silhouettes gleaming on the wall, Kujirada tried to scramble away but the shadows left him little movement as he advanced forward, drool dripping from his mouth as he looked upon him hungrily. _"Let's see how you like it when_**you**_are the meal."_ he hissed and Kujirada screamed out in pure terror.

Kujirada's scream faded away as Yami's jaws clamped down on him and he lifted his head, gulping down his body whole, adding another soul to his count. Blood spilled onto the ground and Yami didn't bother with it, only left, dropping Kujirada's blank keychain in the pool of blood.

"Like you said, Kujirada, defeat only makes the meal all the sweeter." Yami whispered into the darkness of the room, pulling out the tattered remains of his school jacket the got stuck within his throat and threw it towards when the pool of blood sat.

0

Yugi woke up later near his locker and looked around. _'What happened?'_ he thought and then heard U2 quietly chirping. He looked down to his keychain and smiled, feeding the smaller pet before getting up and leaving the school. _'I don't know what happened but at least U2's ok.'_ he thought, never noticing the newly grown fangs his pet has now.

0

Yami watched him quietly from the puzzle, smiling softly. "I will be happy as long as you are, aibou." Yami said quietly to himself. Aqua walked up to him and gently punched his shoulder. "You could've left me a little of that meal you had." Aqua muttered.

Yami huffed. "Like you were going to come out anyway. You were too busy watching aibou and besides, he wanted to get home to I had to make this game swift. You, sometimes, take forever to finish meals." Yami said. "I do not." Aqua growled, glaring at him.

"Yes you do and you know it." Yami said with a taunting smirk. Aqua pouted and huffed. "Fine, believe what you want. I'm going out to talk with Yugi-dono." Aqua said as he slipped out in a wisp of shadows. He only shook his head but still held the playful smirk as he watched as Yugi continued on his way home, speaking with Aqua quietly.

_'Soon, little master, you will be with us and we shall give you whatever you want to keep you happy and pleased.'_ Yami thought, flexing his claws and feeling his power strengthening with each soul they have taken so far.

_"Soon."_

0

Zypher: And that's all for that chapter. Yes, I'm probably following the manga/anime somewhat but that's what happens to me when I watch to same vid for a while during my story plotting. Yep, that just about sums it up. Anyways, hoped you had enjoyed this installment and I'll probably have the next chapter up soon as well since I finally have my Shonen Jump books with me so I can plot out these chapters a little better. Like I said before, I hoped you have enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you all in the next chapter.


	4. Looks Can be Worth a Thousand Deaths

Zypher: Hey everyone and welcome to the next chapter to Yami no Game: Death's Awakening. I thank you all for your wonderful reviews and they always fuel me to continue with new chapters. So here it is, enjoy.

0

Yami no Game: Death's Awakening

Chapter 4

0

Early the next morning, a teacher was in the women's bathroom, looking at herself in the mirror. "Curse this wretched complexion of mine. It's a shame I had to hide my face but either way, I don't care. As long as I'm beautiful." she mumbled as she placed more makeup on before leaving out, taking the note of the class she has to substitute for the week.

0

Yugi made his way to school once more, speaking to Yami and Aqua about the changes in his digital pet. "I don't know but it seems he starting to take on more demonic features and I never did figure out why." Yugi murmured as he looked up to Yami.

/Maybe it's because of us. I don't understand why he would take on demonic features but since we are a part of your soul and we're like a dark side to you, it seems that your pet will take on the same features./ Yami explained.

"Yeah, you probably are right about that but I don't want to think of you two as demonic beings." he replied as he entered the arched entryway to school, feeding his pet one last time before placing him safely into his pocket. Yami smiled himself as he continued to follow behind Yugi silently.

After eating, U2 gave out one last chirp as if saying to have a good day before going to sleep. Yugi smiled before entering the school building and heading towards his classroom, meeting up with Jou on the way.

Both Yami and Aqua decided to stay outside of the puzzle just to make sure there wasn't no potential threats to their master's wellbeing and to also be by his side for once instead of staying inside the puzzle all day.

They walked inside the classroom and talked for a while before they all quieted when the teacher came in. "Great, it's that substitute, Ms. Chono. I never did like her when she first came here." Jou grumbled as she started taking roll. Once she was done, she gave a bright smile as she looked to all the students.

"Alright, children. As you all know, I'm Ms. Chono and I'm going to be your substitute for the week since your teacher is currently going under surgery." she said, looking to them all and then narrowing her eyes at Honda who was currently in a daze as he looked to Miho or, as everyone liked to call her, Ribbon.

"So why don't you all take out your textbooks and we can get started from where you last left off." she said and the students did so.

0

They left out the classroom and Jou let out a sigh of relief. "Finally! I thought I was going to croak if I had to listen to her voice anymore." Jou groaned as he walked beside Yugi. "Jou, you shouldn't say that. I think she was pretty nice this time around." Yugi said.

"Yugi, you got to be kidding me. She may be nice now but I know she'll start getting into her expelling phase and who knows who her target will be. It might even be you and you're the kindest person I know in this school." he reprimanded.

/He does have a point. You are very kind and it would be evil of that teacher if she expelled you for reasons unknown./ Aqua said. _'Chances are she won't even get the chance to write out an excuse if she tries to target him for expulsion. She'll be dead by then.'_ he thought, eyes narrowing but took on a carefree look when Yugi turned to look up at him. Unexpectedly, Honda came out of nowhere and stopped in front of them, panting hard. "Yugi, I need your help." he gasped.

"My help? Whatever for?" he questioned. "I really like this girl in our class but I'm too shy to say anything to her. Your family owns a game shop, right?" he asked and Yugi nodded. "Then please, tell me there's something there that may help me out?" Honda pleaded. "I don't know but we can ask my grandfather after school." Yugi said and Honda cheered.

"Thanks, Yugi! I knew I was able to count on you!" he said happily before leaving. "Well, that was unexpected and I can only guess who he likes." Jou hummed as they continued on towards the next classes, having to split up soon.

"You do? Who is it?" Yugi questioned. "That girl, Miho. I've seen the looks Honda gives to her when she's not watching him and he always goes into a daze so he pretty much misses everything we learn in class." Jou said as they stop in the intersection of hallways where they need to split up.

"Hopefully whatever you give him will give him luck at winning her heart even if it's against the rules to date while you're underage." he continued before waving goodbye and left towards his class. "Hopefully my jii-chan does have something to help him. I wouldn't want to see him disappointed." Yugi said as he walked off to his next class.

/Your grandfather is a wise man. I'm sure he'll have something for him./ Yami said. Yugi nodded as went inside his next class.

0

After another agonizing day at school, Yugi and Jou left out, waiting for Honda to come. He ran out from the school, almost tripping over his own two feet. "Whoa, Honda! We're not going anywhere." Jou spoke with a laugh.

"I know, I'm just so anxious to actually have the chance to ask Miho out even though it's against the rules of the school but I can't help it! This might be my only chance!" Honda preened. "Well then let's get going then. I know you don't want to waste any time." Yugi said as they walked off towards the game shop.

0

When they made it to the game shop, Yugi called out for his jii-chan and he walked out from the back. "Ah, good to see you home, Yugi, and you brought your friends with you. Is there anything you need?" he asked. "Yeah. Honda here need something special to give to someone. Do you have anything in your shop that can help?" Yugi asked.

"Hmm, I think I do have something. Wait right here." he said and walked into the storage room. They waited for a while and with some grumbling, he came back out holding a box. "Maybe this will help you, Honda." he said, opening the box and inside was a blank puzzle.

"What will I do with a blank puzzle?" he asked. "You can write down your feelings onto it and give it to the person so she can piece together the hidden message." he answered. "Yes, this is perfect! Just what I needed!" Honda said happily as he paid Yugi's jii-chan. He then turned to Yugi. "Thanks, Yugi. You were a great help."

"It was no problem. I always like helping someone." Yugi replied, smiling. He nodded and practically skipped out of the shop. Yugi and Jou spent the rest of the day playing games before he left and Yugi went to help his grandfather with dinner.

After he ate, he headed up to his room and Yami appeared, sitting on his bed. /Do you think your friend may be right about his thoughts of that substitute?/ Yami asked. "I don't know. I did hear from some students about her expelling students that break even the slightest of rules but I don't think she will actually do something to ruin Honda's chances."

/Well, I would say the same but its best you keep watch over her. She may be nice but it could all be a facade to put you at ease but changing her tune./ Yami warned and Yugi nodded before he got ready for bed.

He turned off the lights and bid Yami goodnight before snuggling under the covers and went to sleep. Yami watched as he slept before leaning down and placing a kiss on his pale cheek._'Soon, my little aibou. You will be with us. I can't wait until the time is right.'_ he thought before heading back into the puzzle.

0

Yugi happily walked into the school building and headed into his first period class. He looked over to Honda who now looked anxious. _'He must've already placed the gift into Miho's desk. I hope this will work out for him.'_ he thought.

Unaware to all the students, Ms. Chono was in the bathroom, once again applying makeup to her face. "Alright, no more Ms. Nice Chono. It's time for me to do my favorite thing to these pathetic kids." she whispered to the image in the mirror before leaving out once more.

She entered the classroom with a smile but anyone who looked deep into her eyes would've seen the evil gleam. And that's exactly what Yami saw. He growled lowly as he listened in from beside Yugi's desk. "Alright, children. Welcome to another day of class. Before we start, it's Inspection Time! So empty your bags and contents in your desk for inspection." she said happily.

_'Oh no, Honda's gift will be taken and he will get expelled.'_ Yugi thought, faintly hearing Jou curse. "I knew it. She was planning this all along." he growled as he started removing stuff from his bag and desk.

Yugi turned to Yami and gave him a pleading look. "Mou hitori no boku, is there anything you can do?" Yugi asked quietly to not draw attention to himself. /Yes, Aqua and I probably can./ Yami said. _'But it won't be pretty.'_ he thought. Miho pulled out the gift and Ms. Chono turned to her. "And what's that we have here?" Ms. Chono asked sweetly.

"I don't know. I just found it in my desk." she whispered. Ms. Chono walked over to her and swiped the gift, much to Honda's dismay, and went back over to the desk. "This looks like a gift to show love and you know that's against the rules~" she chirped as she ripped off the paper and opened the box.

"And look, it's a puzzle~" she said, starting to piece it together. "This looks like a date just waiting to happen. And to think, whoever was stupid to actually try this thought I wouldn't find out." she continued as she got finished piecing the message together.

"Hmm, _"My beloved Ribbon, you look perfect in your yellow ribbon..."_ Such a wretched message and only four pieces remaining that would reveal the name of our little culprit." she said. _'I'm not going to let Honda take the blame._' Yugi said as stood up.

"Don't do it, Chono-sensei! I was the one who placed the gift in Miho's desk." Yugi called. "Yugi, no! I did it!" Jou called out, standing up.

Honda was surprised to see them standing up for him but wasn't going to let them get expelled for his gift. "No, don't worry about it." he said, standing up. "I was the one who placed the gift there." he continued.

"Oh my, so many guilty consciences. Maybe piecing together the last four pieces will reveal the true person out of you three." Ms. Chono said with glee as she got started. Yami knew this was enough and the shadows started to grow around him. _'It's time for you to stop your little games, Chono-sensei.'_he thought.

"And the name is Hir...Huh? Where am I?" she started once she realized she wasn't in the classroom anymore, only a single solitary room with a desk. She heard laughing and she glared into the shadows. "Whose there?" she spoke, looking around.

_"Such a pathetic woman you are. Thinking you're superior to those that you meet and would do anything to ensure that power over them. What a laugh."_ Yami spoke as he came into the room with Aqua trailing behind.

"How dare you say that to me! You're nothing but a pathetic worm!" she hissed.

_"Oh and that's coming from someone who covers her true face with makeup and takes the form of something she's not. Then let's just see who's pathetic with a little game."_ Yami said as he took out two mirrors. He walked over and stood beside the chair he was going to sit in.

_"This should be simple. We will be wearing blindfolds and we must piece together our broken mirror. Whoever finishes first wins but if you cheat, you will have to deal with the punishment."_ Yami said. "Fine by me." she said. Yami threw the mirrors into the air and one landed in front of him while the other shattered in front of Ms. Chono.

Aqua gave him a blindfold, taking another and walked over to Ms. Chono, tying it tightly over her eyes. "Remember, don't cheat." he hissed before slapping a pair of gloves in front of her and left back into the shadows.

_"Game Start."_ Yami said as he started feeling around for the pieces, taking the biggest one and connecting other pieces to it flawlessly. Ms. Chono was struggling as she tried and failed many times with putting the mirror back together.

_'Forget this, it's not like he will notice anyway and that dragon's gone so he can't say anything either.'_ she thought as she untied the blindfold and threw it away before resuming with piecing together her mirror. Once she set the last piece in place, she smirked. "It's seems that I win." she said.

_"No, you lost."_ Yami whispered. "What! What do you mean I lost?!" she yelled, glaring at the other.

_"You cheated. You took your blindfold off and piece the mirror back together. Many things can be revealed through a mirror and your true face will shine through."_ he said as she looked down to her mirror and saw her face without the mask of makeup. She placed her hand up to her face in delirious shock.

"No! I'm beautiful! I know I am!" she cried before glaring at the other, snatching up a broken mirror piece in anger.

"I'll show you, kid!" she said as she stood and stomped over to him but didn't make it far for the mask of makeup started to crack and fall off like puzzle pieces until it revealed her true face. The Sennen eye glowed brightly on Yami's forehead as he took the blindfold off, demonic cerise eyes glaring at her as he stood. She backed away, seeing there was a difference in him from before but was stopped by Aqua who appeared behind her and held her by her shoulders.

_"You'll have to pay the price now for failing to win the game. You think you were so beautiful before but now your true face has been revealed along with your nature and you do not deserve to live. Your soul and body is ours to feast off of now."_ he said, showing sharp fangs and leapt at her, relishing in her scream of terror as he bit into her neck, claws embedding deep into her skin.

Aqua's claw hovered over her face and soon, her soul left her in a wisp of spectral energy. Her eyes dulled and she soon went limp and he let go of her, Yami's weight causing her to fall limply on the ground.

He tore into her skin as wisps of her soul seeped into his body, Aqua devouring the rest. He coughed slightly. "Man, her soul taste as foul as she looked." he said before he walked up to her body as well and started feasting alongside Yami until they were done and left her remains on the teacher's desk.

The shadows soon left the room, taking Jou and Honda with it and left from the school. When the students regain their thoughts and saw the stripped corpse of Ms. Chono, they screamed and filed out the classroom quickly.

One called to the principal about the situation and the body was soon removed, the classroom going into lockdown because of her mysterious death. If you looked on the teacher's desk, you would've seen the unfinished mirror that Yami was working on, a reflection of Yugi on the mirror's surface.

But the mirror didn't stay there for long for the image was gone and the mirror was shattered into tiny fragments from the shadows.

Anyone who knew of the player in the yami no game that took place and saw the mirror there would've found out the deepest secret that Yugi wished to keep to himself.

0

The shadows landed at the park and silently disappeared, leaving Yugi, Jou and Honda's unconscious forms on the plush green surface. Yami appeared and knelt down beside Yugi. He gently shook him awake and he turned to him. "What happened?" he asked.

/Ms. Chono's little ploy was taken care of aibou and now, she's gone from the school and she will never return again./ Yami said and he nodded. "Thank you. I knew you would be able to help, mou hitori no boku." Yugi said as he stood up. Honda and Jou started to wake up and looked to him. "What happened?" Honda asked.

"Before Chono-sensei could read your note, a friend was able to help and got her fired from the school." Yugi said. "Wow that was lucky timing then." Jou said. Honda only sighed. "But how am I'm going to tell Miho how I feel?" Honda questioned. "The old fashioned way. Go up and tell her how you feel." Jou replied and Honda nodded. "Hopefully that will work."

"I'm sure it will, Honda." Yugi confirmed. Yami watched from afar. _'Maybe it can.'_ he thought, thinking of his and Aqua's own predicament with their master, their demonic secret and their emotions.

0

Zypher: And that's the end for today's little game of death. If I could, I would've used the storyline from the original episode of the first season but of course, I was a little slow and didn't click on the picture that led to a summary of the episode on Janime so I went by the manga and used the same shadow game from the episode so it all turned out good.

Anyways, hoped you enjoy and will be expecting the next chapter eagerly. It's time for me to let Yami and Aqua have some torturing fun with Anzu before her death challenge so review if you want to see her be brought down a few pegs.


	5. A Day of Fun for Light and Dark

Zypher: Thank you all for reading and reviewing the last chapter of Yami no Game. I do hope you will enjoy this chapter as well.

0

Yami no Game: Death's Awakening

Chapter 5

0

As the weekend came up, Yugi was eager to spend it with his new friends that he gained over time. Yami watched as he got prepared for the day. /So, what are you and your friends planning to do today?/ Yami asked. "Don't know, we probably may spend the day at the park or something." Yugi replied.

/That sounds nice. Hope you have a good time./ Yami said before disappearing back into the puzzle. Yugi finished getting ready before heading downstairs to have a quick breakfast and bid his grandfather goodbye as he left.

0

In the park, Jou was comforting Honda. "It's alright, Honda. You'll get another chance soon." Jou said. "I hope so." he whispered sadly. Yugi came into the park minutes later and walked over to them. "Hey guys." he greeted before looking to Honda. "What's wrong, Honda?" he asked.

"Earlier today, he went to go tell Miho his feelings for her but she declined, saying she didn't want them to have any problems, especially at school, so she agreed to be friends instead." Jou explained. "Oh, don't worry, Honda. I'm sure you two will be together soon." Yugi said, patting his shoulder.

"I hope so, as long as she's not taken by someone else by the time we graduate from high school." Honda said. "Hey, I'm sure she would want to be with you, Honda. You did risk a lot when Ms. Chono found that present you gave to her."

"But you guys risked yourselves as well. You could've been expelled because of me." Honda said.

"But you're our friend so we'll risk anything." Yugi stated.

Honda smiled. "Thank guys. I could never think of better friends than you." he murmured. "Alright, enough of this mushy stuff. We're almost starting to sound like Anzu before she became an arrogant brat. What should we do today?" Jou asked.

"How about we head to the mall for a while before going over to the arcade to play a few games." Yugi suggested and they agreed before leaving out the park.

0

At the mall, Anzu was there as well, doing her excessive shopping trip. She was thinking about the mysterious deaths and their causes. She was trying to think of what the link to it all could be. _'I mean, who in the whole entire city would kill someone like Ushio just for bullying the pathetic runt? They probably would've let him get away scott-free after a little reprimanding but not kill him.'_ she thought before thinking about the puzzle that she saw around Yugi's neck that day he was trying to help her after Kujirada's attack.

_'And then again, that puzzle was a little creepy. Maybe he had something to do with it but I would never know unless I see something weird happening that involves the brat and that puzzle.'_ she thought as she continued walking.

She then saw Yugi along with his friends walking into the mall and grinned. _'And this may be the perfect chance.'_ she thought once more before trailing behind them.

0

Yugi and the others walked around a bit, going into different stores, fooling around a bit by trying on different outfits and such. Anzu, who was secretly concealing herself in different places so they couldn't find her, almost growled in irritation.

_'There's something suspicious about that necklace and I'm going to find out one way or another.'_she thought as she followed them out the store and into another. They soon decided to split up and Anzu went to follow Yugi.

Yugi looked at some of the outfits, contemplating on some of the looks and how it would be on him. Yami appeared by his side and looked as well. /I think this would look nice on you./ he said, fingering on outfit done in full leather, straps wrapped around the legs with buckles on some of them.

It also came with an embroidered collar along with two other straps that you can place on your wrists or upper arms. Yugi blushed lightly. "Oh no, I don't think that will suit me at all." he whispered. /Oh but I think it does, aibou. This would probably give you that innocent yet devilish look to you./ Yami spoke.

He blushed even more. "You really think so, mou hitori no boku?" he asked, looking to the other spirit. Anzu watched, seeing him talking with someone but didn't see the other. _'Now who could he be talking with?'_ Anzu wondered as she continued to watch him.

/Yes, I do and I bet Aqua would think the same./ Yami said. Yugi nodded but sighed. "Even if you said it would look good on me, I can't afford it cause I don't have any money on me." Yami saw his distress and placed a hand on his shoulder. /I can help with that./ he said and before he knew it, 1000 yen bills were in his hands. /Will that be enough?/ he questioned. "Yes but how did you get all this?" he asked.

/If you remember from Aqua's story of our life, we were pharaohs in Khemet and you don't really think we would be getting ourselves sealed away into the puzzle without bringing our fortune with us. All I did was a little conversion to some of those fortunes that you can use and I assure you, it's not counterfeit./ Yami explained.

Yugi smiled. "Thank you but do you really want to use your fortunes for money just for me? You don't have to." Yugi said. /But I want to. Both Aqua and I want to give you the best things in life that possibly no other can give you. You are our little master and we will do anything to please you and make you happy./ Yami said with a smile. Yugi thanked him once more before taking the outfit and left for the counter.

Anzu, who continued to watch, was shocked to see the amount of money he gained from out of thin air. _'There must be something about that puzzle and I'm going to find out soon enough.'_ she thought as she once again tailed Yugi as he left out after buying the outfit.

He stopped at a few more stores before meeting up with his friends at the food court. "Hey, are you guys' hungry?" Yugi asked. "Yeah but we didn't bring nothing to buy anything." Jou said. "Don't worry about that. I'll pay for lunch." Yugi said. Jou and Honda smiled. "Thanks." They both said before they told him what they wanted and he was off to go make their orders.

Anzu finally gave up with her little search for answers and walked towards Yugi, grasping his shoulder and turned him around. "Alright, Motou, I want answers and I want them now. What's up with that little pendant of yours?" she demanded. "Why do you want to know? You don't care about anything that has to deal with me." Yugi replied.

"Well I care now cause for some reason, I'm expecting that you're the cause for some of these deaths that have been happening. We all know that Ushio used to always bully you and now he's dead. Did you have something to do with that?" Anzu demanded once more.

"No, I don't even know how these things happened. When something dangerous happens to me, I blacked out and then somehow end up back in my room." Yugi said. "Well, there must be something about that necklace of yours and I know you know something about it so tell me now or so help me I'll..." she started but stopped when she saw the growing shadows behind him. It formed into a silhouette that looked like him but it had glowing cerise eyes which were fixed onto her.

_"Leave now."_ It growled.

She nodded and soon ran off. Yami's silhouette narrowed its eyes once more before slipping away silently. Yugi saw the fearful look to whatever was behind him and turned to see what it was but saw nothing. _'What scared her off?'_ he thought before he went back to get their meals and headed back to the table after paying for it.

0

Yami snarled slightly, knowing that Anzu was going to become a menace soon enough._'I should kill her off swiftly but I think she will become a fun target to mess with so I'll keep her alive for a short while before I kill her.'_ Yami said with a grin. Aqua came up behind him. "So, what are you thinking about now?" he asked.

"I'm thinking about our latest target. The girl that refused Yugi's help when she lost her measly digital pet. I think we'll have fun with her." Yami explained. "Really? And what did she do to anger you this time? I know you and your games and you would never play with your food outside of yami no games unless it's for a good reason."

"She's becoming too suspicious. If she's learns of the myth to the puzzle and somehow tells aibou and make him fear us, I will not take that sitting down. Will you join me in this little game?" Yami asked, looked back to him. Aqua grinned as well. "Of course. I'm not going to take losing Yugi-dono sitting down either."

0

After their time at the mall, Yugi and the others headed over to the arcade to play a few games until it got late and they all left to head home for the night. "Today was wonderful. Don't you agree, mou hitori no boku?" he asked and the spirit appeared.

/Yes, I thought it went pretty well. Especially since I was there to help you, aibou. I thank you for accepting the things I gave to you./ Yami said. "You don't have to thank me for that but I did appreciate the money you gave for me and my friends. Are you sure you won't miss those fortunes?" he asked.

/I assure you that we won't, aibou. Anything that is ours we give to you and hopefully your give anything that is yours to us./

"Of course I would. You and Aqua are my other halves. I couldn't deny anything you want." Yugi said.

Yami smiled and deep in his mind, he was happy to hear this. _'Now this should make things easier. Once the time comes, we'll have you, little one.'_ he thought as they soon reached the game shop and Yami went back into the puzzle for the time being.

Yugi greeted his grandfather before heading upstairs to his room the place the outfit he gotten today into his closet before deciding to take a nap. When he was asleep, the puzzle glowed and shadows engulfed the room before leaving out and went to look for Anzu.

0

She was currently walking home, still frightened by that little experience at the mall with Yugi. _'What was that shadow? It looked like him but I know it wasn't. There's something about that puzzle and I'm going to find out one way or another. I could be famous and rich from discovering the murderer of those people.'_ Anzu thought, unaware of the slinking shadows gathering around her until she realized it was darker than usual, and it wasn't even close to nightfall yet.

_"So, you think you can figure out the secret of our aibou's treasure do you? You must be pretty stupid to think so and we'll be glad to show just how stupid you are."_ A voice hissed and she turned, trying to find the speaker. "Who are you? Show yourself!" she shouted, looking through the expanse of shadows but didn't find no one, only heard menacing laughter.

_"Why should we show ourselves to you? You're nothing but a pathetic soul that could barely sate our hunger but to us, every soul is worth it just to regain a body and soon acquire our master as our eternal soulmate."_ Another said.

"What do you mean? Who are you!?" she shouted once more and saw two figures appear through the shadows, each holding some sort of golden relic around their necks. She gasped when she noticed one looked exactly like Yugi, only with extremely different features. She then saw the same puzzle hanging from around his neck and knew she may have possibly found the secret to the puzzle and the mysterious deaths.

"You're...you two must be the one that has been killing people all this time." Anzu whispered, now starting to become frightened now that she was in their presence. _"Witty observation. So what are you going to do? Tell some high priced TV company about us? Go to the radio station and tell them about demons controlling a young high school student? Not only will they not believe you and think you're crazy but even if they did, we won't tolerate more people knowing about us and you would die because of your actions."_ Aqua said. They laughed once more and she shivered in fear.

"Please, let me go. I promise I won't tell anyone about you two." she whimpered. _"You may say that but your mind betrays your words. We shouldn't let you go but just to save us the chances that we won't have to worry about devouring your powerless soul and disgusting flesh, we'll play a little game."_ Yami said as a duel monsters deck appeared before them.

_"The little game we're going to play is a little number game. We'll pick a card and whoever has the highest attack points will win."_Yami said and she nodded.

_"Go ahead and pick."_ he said and she shakily reached out, grabbing a card from the top of the deck and looked to it. She looked at it in horror. "The Wicked Worm Beast. How could I pick such a card?" she wondered in abashed shock.

_"Because, that's how your soul is, wicked and disgusting."_ Yami said as he picked his card. _"Archfiend of Gilfer. Looks like I win."_he said with a smirk.

"No, I don't want to die!" she cried, falling onto her knees. Yami snorted. "So pathetic yet this is enjoyable." he said to Aqua who nodded. _"Stand up, you pathetic mortal."_ he ordered and she did.

_"We'll give you this warning. Do not tell anyone, and I mean_**anyone**_, about us and you'll still live. But your life is only short-lived because we will come after you again and when we do, a yami no game will be issued and lives will be at stake. You lose and both your soul and body is ours to feast from."_ Yami said before everything was shrouded in shadows and she found herself back on the sidewalk, the shadows gone from her sight.

She looked around once more and gulped, remembering Yami's warning before running her way back to her home just to be off the streets. _'I need to tell someone, anyone but I can't or else they'll come after me. There has to be someway how I can slip past them and tell someone of those demons.'_ she thought.

From the rooftops, Aqua was crouched down, watching, and listened to her thoughts which were being casted out pretty loudly that he could probably hear them from Yugi's room. _'Such a foolish child. She really thinks she can get away with this and possibly threaten Yugi-dono's life?'_ he thought before he stood.

_"Watching shadows of the night, follow the girl in her adverse plight. Make sure that our secret is not revealed and Yugi-dono's life is safely concealed."_ he whispered and shadows gathered until it became a black, wolf-like beast.

"Dae Raca, follow that girl for she may reveal Yugi-dono's secret about us and we don't want him to fall into unnecessary danger." Aqua said and the beast nodded before leaping off the roof and went to follow Anzu with silent footsteps like the wind.

When his job was done, he became the shadows as well and made his way back to the game shop.

0

Zypher: And that's all for that chapter. Yes, it's time for Anzu torture and I'm loving it! Other ideas for her torture are always appreciated so send them in! She probably won't last long, probably up until chapter 7 or 8 if I don't plan to kill her off sooner but either way, who cares! Anyways, enough of my ramblings, I hope you all loved this chapter to bits and will be waiting for the next. And I will see you all soon in the next installment.

Note: Dae Raca is the elven name I gave to Black Dog Beast Bow from Challenge of the Kombat as a little spoiler for you readers so you'll know. It means Shadow Wolf, pretty nifty since that's how he looks like and I love that name.


	6. Never Tamper with Psychic Powers

Zypher: Hello everyone and thanks for the reviews and suggestions for this chapter. I love them all. So why don't we get on with this chapter of Yami no Game: Death's Awakening and torture her some more shall we? Enjoy.

0

Yami no Game: Death's Awakening

Chapter 6

0

As Monday rolled around, Yugi was happy as a clam, having so much fun over the weekend. Both Yami and Aqua were happy to know that he was happy and cheerful. But they knew that soon, they will have to tell and will only trust that he wouldn't shy away from them or hate them for their secret.

Aqua appeared into the room and smiled as he watched him get ready. /Yugi-dono, why don't you wear the outfit you brought with your school jacket instead?/ Aqua suggested. He blushed lightly.

"Oh no, I better not. Last thing I need is to have unwanted comments being made by the other kids." Yugi replied softly. /But they won't and even if they did, you don't need to listen to them./ he said and he placed a hand on his shoulder and leaned down to nuzzle him like a puppy would for attention. He blushed even more.

/Come on, little master. It won't hurt to wear it for today. Just for us. Please?/ he whispered and he nodded. "Ok, just for you and mou hitori no boku." Yugi whispered as he pulled out the outfit and went to change in the bathroom.

He smiled before he disappeared back into the puzzle and to his shared soul room. He walked over to Yami and placed a hand on his head playfully. "Now what are you thinking about?" he asked. "Just thinking about how he would look in that outfit. I'll bet it would be enticing." he said with a purr.

Aqua conked him over the head lightly and laughed. "I agree with you but we must bide our time. We can't rush our affections for our master too soon." he said before looking to the watch. "Only a few more months and it'll be time." he said and Yami nodded.

"I wish it would come sooner but like you said, I'll have to bide my time." Yami murmured as he soon watched as the young hikari left out the bathroom wearing the outfit with his school jacket and picked up the puzzle before leaving to head downstairs.

0

Anzu was back at her home still, preparing for school and still trying to think of a plan to catch those demons she met with in their actions of killing someone.

_'But how is the question? From what I experienced, they probably did all their killings in that shadowy place so no one else would witness then in their moment of killing. Now how can I prove that there's something else about that puzzle Yugi wears?_

_'Take it when he can't wear it but that means I would have to sneak in the boys locker room just to get it and I'm not stooping that low. Maybe I could get a photo of at least those demons showing up as a silhouette behind him. That may work.'_she thought, unaware of the figure watching her.

Dae Raca let out a laughing bark as he stood upon a tree branch just sitting in front of her window.

/She really thinks she could capture Yami and Aqua just to prove that Master Yugi has deadly demons living inside his soul. This is such a riot! She's such a baka that she probably couldn't find her way out of a box! Well, this is where my help comes into play. I can't let her catch Yami and Aqua at any time when they're out as a watching silhouette since that's the only thing she can see./ he whispered to himself before jumping out of the tree just as she left her room, packing away a small camera in her bag before heading out towards school.

_'I'll get proof and I'll make sure he's locked up somewhere so those demons won't harm another. I'll be able to still live and gloat that I finally got that brat out of my hair.'_ she thought as she made her way towards school, still unaware that she was being followed.

0

Yugi quietly walked to school, meeting up with his friends on the way. They made some nice comments about the outfit and he thanked them before they walked into the arched entryway of the school.

Some kids looked over to him when they walked in but he ignored them. Some made nice comments, some made vague ones and some even dared to make perverted ones and those caused Yami and Aqua to growl from within the puzzle. Jou and Honda glared at those that made those kinds of comments and led Yugi quickly into the school.

"I knew I should've had worn this." Yugi whispered. /But you did so just for us, little master. Remember that./ Aqua replied through their mind link and he nodded. They all headed to their first class, which was now switched to a different room until the murder case with Ms. Chono was solved. They sat through their classes until lunch rolled by and they decided to sit outside to eat lunch.

Back in the school, a boy wearing a cloak and many charms was watching Yugi. "So, he's the one right?" The boy asked. "Yeah, he's the one that has demonic spirits inside that trinket of his. I think he'll become a great addition to your group, Kokurano." Anzu said.

"Yes, I believe he will." The boy known as Kokurano said. Dae Raca watched silently before disappearing into the shadows of the hall. _'What could she be up to now?'_ he thought.

Yugi and his friends headed to his next class, only to see that Kokurano was in there with the group of girls that stuck around him. "Great, it's Kokurano. He thinks that he has ESP but I never believed him." Jou said. "Really? Why does he believe that?" Yugi asked, never hearing of this student before. "Just watch and listen."

"Listen and listen well! Today, there will be an earthquake!" he announced. Some kids started to speak about it, some saying it may be true and others saying it wasn't.

"I don't think there'll be an earthquake today. It's all a bunch of..." Jou stopped mid-sentence as the school started to rattle and shake. It was only for a few seconds before it stopped. Kokurano smirked as he looked to Jou. "Do you believe me now?" he said as he took out a slip of paper and on it said that there would be an earthquake today.

Jou nodded dumbly and so did some of the other kids that didn't believe him. More kids crowded around him but Yugi stayed back, watching as his friends tried to see about more predictions.

Yami and Aqua appeared beside him and Aqua snorted. /That fool. He doesn't have ESP. We can feel it if he did./ Aqua said. "Really, he doesn't have ESP?" Yugi questioned. /No he doesn't. He's probably trying the old ESP trick which is to keep predictions hidden under your clothing and try to make them happen so they would seem true./ Yami proclaimed.

Yugi nodded and soon headed off to his seat, unaware that Kokurano was watching him. _'So, you don't believe do you? I'll make you believe and soon, you will be in my little group and with the powers of the demons that Anzu claims you have, I'll be the best psychic in this school and probably the whole entire city.'_ Kokurano thought.

Before they left out of class to head to gym, Yugi was stopped by Kokurano. "What do you want?" he asked, Yami and Aqua staying by his side ever since the start of class. They both watched him warily, seeing that there was probably something else this fake psychic wanted.

"I want to tell you something of much importance. Did you ever want to know about the ones that were causing those deaths that have been heard?" Kokurano asked and Yami growled, thinking that Anzu probably told him about them.

"Yes, I have been curious about it." Yugi replied. "Then come to this classroom at 6:00 sharp tonight and someone will be here to tell you." Kokurano said before leaving. /I say you shouldn't go. There's something about him that keep me on the edge./ Yami said.

"I agree with you but I think it will be best if I did."

Kokurano turned around once more. "Also, tell your blond headed friend to watch himself in gym today. I had a prediction that he will be hurt from an attack of the lights." he added before leaving the room.

/Don't listen to him. It must be a lie./ Aqua murmured through the link. "Don't worry, I won't." Yugi replied before he left off for his gym class.

0

During the period, the boys were doing Judo and Yugi was thrown over Honda's shoulder, being paired up with him. Yami didn't want him to be hurt so he sent out a few shadows to cushion his fall. Aqua watched the floor quietly, making sure that nothing will happen to Jou since he was paired up with another student so he wasn't going to be watching out for anything.

His ears pricked when he heard something snapped and looked up in time just to see a light from the roof fall and it was right over Jou. /Jou-kun?!/ he shouted and sent out the shadows to grab him and pull him back so he would avoid being hit.

Yugi turned when he heard him shout and then looked over to where Jou was, seeing that he was almost hit by the overhanging light. _'Kokurano was right. He was almost hurt if it wasn't for Aqua.'_ Yugi thought and then thought if whoever was coming tonight would actually know of the murderers. _'Maybe I should go. I was tempted not to go but after seeing this, I probably should.'_ he thought and went to help his friend along with Honda.

Kokurano, who still stood on the catwalk leading to the lights, smirked._'Only a little more and then he'll believe me and it should be a synch to get those powers on my side.'_ he thought before leaving.

0

After school, Yami told Yugi that he should probably go and see Kokurano again, still denying his ability of ESP. Wanting to satisfy his curiosity, he headed over to where Kokurano was last seen and saw he was still there. He looked up and smirked.

"So, do you believe me now?" he asked. "I guess so. I still don't believe you fully just from two predictions but you have at least got me to believe that whoever you said would be coming to tell me about the murderer." Yugi murmured. His eyes narrowed.

"So, you don't believe me fully do you? Fine then, believe this! Because of your defiance, countless letters will fall upon you!" Kokurano growled and Aqua hissed in warning. /Come on, Yugi. Let's go. We'll just see if he's right about his little prediction./ Aqua said and he nodded as he left. Kokurano sighed. _'Anzu better be right about this.'_ he thought before getting up and leaving himself.

Dae Raca stopped following Anzu for the time being and left to go find Yami and Aqua. When he saw Yugi walking home and Yami and Aqua by his side, he ran over. /Hey, Yami! Aqua! I have something to tell you./ he said and they stopped, looking back to him. /What did you find out, Dae Raca?/ Yami asked.

/That girl. She's planning to give up Yugi to that fake psychic because he wants to see if what she said was true./ Dae Raca explained. /That girl, she's more pathetic than any other victim. But she won't have to worry long, she will die soon./ he grumbled before smirking a little

/Here's what I want you to do. When she heads home today, torture her with the old Chinese water torture, only do it our way./ The wolf nodded. /Alright. I best be going now cause I think she was planning to come to the school tonight so she could try and catch you two trying to help the young master from whatever Kokurano had planned for him./ Dae Raca said before running off. _'Soon, she'll wish she didn't try all she could to find us.'_ Yami thought before he and Aqua went to catch up with Yugi once more.

0

Anzu was currently in her room, preparing to leave out so she could get to the school before Yugi did. She was about to leave when she heard something and turned to look behind her. She didn't see anything and turned back around to see a shadowy wolf sitting in front of her.

"How did you get here, mutt?" she questioned and he growled. /A little request from the demons./ he said and soon, the room went black and she blacked out as well.

When she woke, she tried to moved and found she was tied up and she was surrounded by darkness but only one, solitary dim light shined on her. "Hey! Let me go!" she screamed but no one responded. She then heard footsteps and being reminded of the last time she was caught in a position like this, tried to get away.

Dae Raca showed up once more and grinned. /Hopefully you are accustomed with the practices of Chinese water torture cause that's exactly what you're about to go through./ he said. "Why? What do those demons see in torturing me?" she questioned.

/Because, they desire their meals to be just of the right preparation. That's why they sent me here to make sure. You are pathetic to think that you could try and sell away their master just so you can get proof. Doing all this is dangerous you know but you keep trying and that what's going to cause your death./ he said with a laugh.

/But for now, let's get on with your torture session./ Dae Raca disappeared after he said what he had to say and she heard the drips of water, or so she thought. She then felt one drop onto her and the tangy, metallic scent led her to realize that it wasn't water…but blood.

"Why is it blood? Tell me you stupid mutt! Tell me!" she screamed but only heard the laughing from Dae Raca. /They love the taste of blood you know. Why do you think they want me to torture you this way? They want you to taste of blood soaked onto you once they gorge on your tender flesh but since your flesh isn't all that tender, that will be left to the shadows to do that to your flesh and your soul. I'm going to take my duty to make this meal their best yet./ Dae Raca said and the shadows soon shot out towards her, drowning out her yells and screams.

0

Later that night, Yugi was making his way back towards the school to see this said person. Yami and Aqua were out once more to make sure that Yugi wasn't going to get hurt, still not trusting Kokurano.

They finally got there and walked inside. As Yugi was heading towards the classroom, he saw a book sitting on the floor. "This must belong to the library." he said as he picked up the book and made his way towards the library to return the book back into its place.

He entered the library silently and looked through all the bookcases, looking for the spot where the book belonged and when he found it, he placed it where it should be. He was about to leave out when he heard faint slamming and saw that the bookcases were now falling on top of each other in a domino fashion and heading straight towards him.

_'Countless letters will fall upon you. Is this what Kokurano meant?'_ he thought and saw that he didn't have enough time to move out of the way. "Aibou!" Yami cried as he ran towards him, in that moment never noticing that he wasn't a spirit.

He pushed Yugi out of the way just as the bookcase he was near fell over and it hit Aqua's neck who was moving out of the way as well. He hissed in pain as a long gash was left when the corner hit him. He held a hand up and looked to Yami.

"Yami, go and issue the yami no game. I wish to join but I can't with this wound. I'll take Yugi back home." Aqua murmured and then realized something. "Wait, Yami...we're not spirits anymore." he whispered. Yami's eyes widened as he looked down to his hands and saw they weren't translucent anymore.

"But how? We didn't even consume enough souls to give ourselves a real form. How can this be possible?" he questioned. "I don't know but we best use this time we have now to get what we need done. Go and show that fake psychic that given gifts aren't to be tampered with." Aqua replied as he walked over and picked up Yugi from his arms and left.

Yami watched as he left before growling and turned back to the entryway to the library, ready to take care of Kokurano.

Yugi, who was shocked when he saw the bookcase about to fall upon him, looked up and saw that Aqua wasn't a spirit anymore. "Aqua...you aren't a spirit anymore..." he whispered. "I know. I'm just as in awe as you are. But for now, I must get you home." Aqua murmured as he beat his wings more to make the trip quicker, the wound still bleeding.

Yugi felt the drops of blood on his arm and looked up. "Aqua...you're bleeding. What happened?" he asked. "When Yami saved you from the bookcase, I was getting out myself but the corner caught me. Don't worry about me though, I'll heal up soon." he replied.

He placed a hand over the wound. "No. When we get back home, I'm going wrap it up for you." he whispered and Aqua nodded as they reached the shop and he landed on the roof, opening the skylight and slipped inside. He let Yugi down and he quickly ran off to get the medical kit. When he was gone, he looked back down to the watch.

"How is it we have a real form? We never gained enough souls and none were powerful enough to give us a true form. There must be something that led to this but what could it be?" he questioned to himself and looked up when Yugi came back in.

"Hold still while I'm cleaning and wrapping up your wound." Yugi said and Aqua was led over to the young teen's bed so he could lie down while Yugi worked on the wound.

0

Kokurano still waited inside the classroom, looking up towards the clock. "Yugi should've been here by now. What's taking him so long?" he questioned._"He has gone home with a friend of mine thanks to your little stunt. He was hurt and you will pay."_ Yami hissed as he stood in the doorway of the room, shadows pooling around his feet. Kokurano turned to him and gulped fearfully at seeing those menacing cerise eyes staring him down.

"What do you want?" he demanded.

_"Why, to play a game with you. I know what you want and that is to use our master's treasure to control us and use us to make every prediction you make come true. You may think you have ESP but you don't and gifts such and those shouldn't be tampered with."_ Yami said as he walked towards him, the shadows following him silently. "And what game do you have in mind?" he asked, still wary of the shadows.

_"A little game to test your ESP."_ he said as the shadows left him and covered the room for a brief moment before they disappeared and six bottles of chloroform hung above their head by thin thread, all connected to the classroom clock.

_"Now, here's how the game plays. As the minute hand moves, a thread will be snapped and one of these bottles will fall. Using your so called ESP, you have to figure out which one is about to fall. If you're wrong, then prepared to be trapped in eternal sleep."_ Yami explained and he nodded.

"I'll show you." he said as the first thread was clipped and he ran towards the falling bottle, catching it. The next thread was soon clipped and Yami calmly walked over to the bottle hanging beside him and caught it. Kokurano growled and hesitate slightly. Seeing the next one snap, he quickly made his way to the next falling bottle, just barely grabbing it.

The fourth thread snapped and it was the bottle closest to the door so Yami now ran towards it before it could hit the ground but Kokurano, who didn't want to be upstaged by him, put his foot out without him noticing and tripped him.

Yami snarled in anger and letting his tail show, he slid on the ground, using his tail to grab the bottle. _"Nice try, Kokurano. Now it's time for your punishment."_ Yami hissed lowly and Kokurano gulped and them remembered the last two bottles and turned.

He was anxious and looked to both bottles, trying to predict which one would fall. Yami smirked as he watched him struggle. _"What will you do now, Kokurano? Only two bottles left. Which one could it be? Shouldn't be too hard if you have ESP."_

The next thread snapped and it was the one closest to the window and Kokurano stood under the one that was near him. His eyes widened and gasped as he tried to make it to the bottle but it was like slow motion to him as he watched the bottle hit the floor just as he lunged for it and the bottle of chloroform burst into gas and engulfed him.

He gurgled as the gas soon put him to sleep and Yami stood over him as the gas soon dissipated. "Like I said, never trust in powers you don't have." he whispered as he saw the many predictions hidden under his cape.

_'And I was right about him using that trick.'_ he thought before he bent down and ripped away his outfit before feasting, taking his soul and leaving once he was done so he would know that Kokurano wouldn't endanger anyone else with his false predictions.

0

Once Aqua's wound was wrapped, Yugi placed the kit away and went to see if there was anything he could fix for him. Yami arrived while he was downstairs and split Kokurano's soul in half and gave one piece of it to Aqua and finished off the other half.

Aqua gulped down his and told Yami to hide his wings and tail before Yugi came back upstairs. He did so just as Yugi entered the room and he smiled up to him. "I'm glad you're alright. Did anything happen at the school with Kokurano?" he asked as he walked over to Aqua, handing him a cup of herbal tea.

"No, he wasn't even there in the classroom so I left." Yami said and he nodded. "Oh well, I probably bet he was the one to cause those bookcases to fall anyway. I have a feeling something will happen to him now that his powers were proven false." Yugi said as he rubbed Aqua's neck lightly to soothe the pain as he sipped the tea silently.

"I'm sure something did and if you believe it was too cruel to whatever may happen to him, remember, he was the one who played all the students into believing he was a psychic." Yami said. Yugi nodded as he took the empty cup away from Aqua. He placed the cup on the side table and soon yawned.

Yami ushered him to bed and bid him goodnight before making another out of shadows and lied upon it. _'I still don't know what forces could've given us a true form but I have a dreaded feeling that it will only last for tonight and we'll be nothing but spirits once again tomorrow.'_ he thought with a sigh.

_'But it won't last for long, soon we'll have a permanent form and we can soon get Yugi as our soulmate.'_ he thought and looked over to him.

_'But the problem is, will he even agree to such terms once he learns we are the bloodthirsty beasts that were trapped in the puzzle because of such? I don't even want to bear the thoughts of him telling us to leave or shattering the puzzle and trapping us back inside.'_ Yami sighed as he buried his head into the cushioned shadows, falling into a restless sleep.

0

Zypher: And that's all for this chapter. Hoped you all enjoyed this chapter very much and will be eagerly waiting for the next. I'm so eager about it myself that I'll probably write it now but I must at least get some other chapters started first. So I'll see all you wonderful reviewers in the next chapter for more deadly games and Anzu torture.


	7. Flames of Death

Zypher: Hi all and I thank you for your reviews. I simply love them and I'm happy to know that you all enjoy this wonderful story. Thanks a bunch and here's the next chapter for your reading pleasures. Enjoy like always.

0

Yami no Game: Death's Awakening

Chapter 7

0

Not far from Domino, alarms went off as an escaped convict made his way outside the gates of the prison. Tattooed on his arms were three sevens that symbolized luck and he grinned as he ran off towards the city of Domino to hide away from the searching police.

0

Yugi and his friends made it through another day of school and it was officially the weekend. Jou suggested that they all head over to the new burger restaurant that opened up. "Did you guys hear about that convict that escaped last night? It was rumored that he was hiding somewhere in the city." Jou said.

"Really? Oh I do hope he isn't around here. The last thing we need is some convict to endanger people's lives." Yugi murmured as they made it to the restaurant and was greeted by a waitress before being led to their seats.

/Don't worry, Yugi-dono, we'll protect you if that criminal does come this way./ Aqua said. Like predicted, the morning after, they were transformed back into spirits. They were saddened to know this but believed there will be other times when they will have a true form again. He smiled and nodded before the waitress came back to take their orders. They made them and started to talk about something else, unaware of the danger coming their way.

0

Outside, the convict smirked, seeing this as the best place to hide and probably get a free meal. "My lucky stars haven't failed me yet." he said as he walked inside, taking out a hidden gun that he snagged off a random cop during his escape. He walked inside, making himself looking like a normal customer and went to take a seat.

He looked around for a hostage that he could use and wouldn't struggle much and saw Yugi sitting with his friends.

_'Perfect.'_ he thought and waited for the younger boy to get up so he wouldn't attract any attention to himself. At least not yet.

0

Anzu was finally free from the torture she had to endure, not getting a wink of sleep because of the dripping blood keeping her awake every second of every minute of every hour. She was also weak because of the shadows torturing her and her soul and it left her feeling like she couldn't even stand much less walk.

But she did so, planning to get her revenge on Yugi for what he did. She thought long and hard and came to a conclusion that it was probably Yugi's ideas to have the demons send out something to come and torture her since she did the same to him.

_'And somehow, someway, I'm going to make him pay for all this. Whether to get him sent somewhere far away or captured so scientists can experiment on him, as long as he's far away from me.'_ she thought as she continued to walk, Dae Raca following behind her. "Now all I need to do is find the brat and I can probably take that puzzle and throw it into an ocean somewhere." she grumbled.

_'Only if you knew they would never allow that. They'll probably burn you alive before you could even touch the puzzle.'_ Dae Raca thought before he summoned some shadows that slithered out and grab her legs before dragging her into a random alley, covering her mouth to prevent her from screaming.

/This will be fun./ he said as he ran into the alley as well and made an illusion to make it look like there was a wall where the alley was.

0

When their meals came, they started to eat, chattering about some random things that came to mind. Yugi placed down his burger and told them that he had to go to the lavatory and will be back. They nodded as he got up and walked off.

The convict smirked, seeing as this was his chance and got ready. When Yugi walked back out, he took out his gun, grabbing him and catching the attention of everyone in the restaurant. "Alright! No one move or the boy gets it!" he called and they all raised their hands in submission.

"Now, get on the floor and someone get me some liquor and cigarettes." he demanded as he sat back down, using a short moment to tie a blindfold over Yugi's eyes before holding the gun back up. A waitress did as he asked, bringing back some strong liquor and a pack of Lucky 7 cigarettes. "Thanks." he said as he took a cigarette from the pack, unaware of the growing shadows beneath him.

_"You will pay for this convict."_ A voice hissed as Yami and Aqua materialized once more, now in full body and Aqua seemed to understand the moments when they had a true form. _'And that's when Yugi's in life threatening danger and the puzzle must be granting us with a solid form until he's safe.'_ he thought before Yami walked over to the table and he followed behind him. The convict looked to them and snarled. "Hey, I didn't say for anyone to get up." he said, glaring at them.

_"We decided to ask you for a little challenge. A simple game that could mean the lives of everyone here."_ Yami said and some of the people in there looked to them, shocked and yet slightly awed that they appeared out of nowhere. The convict smirked and nodded.

"Alright then, I'll take you two up on that little wager and the first person to be going if I win is this little brat here." The convict said, nudging the gun against Yugi's head and making him shudder in fear.

"Mou hitori no boku, please help me." he whispered and Yami nodded. /Don't worry, we will. Just hold on, little aibou./ he responded through the mind link before turning his gaze back to the convict.

_"Alright, here's how the game will play and since it would be unfair for both of us to play, I'll let my dragon friend play for the people's lives. We'll each choose a finger of our choosing but all others will be invalid. We can do anything we want with said finger but if you use any other, you_ _will lose."_ Yami explained and the convict nodded.

"Fine, I'll choose my trigger finger just in case I need to kill off one of you." he said._"Fine by me. I'll choose my thumb."_ Aqua said. He only snorted and held the gun up, knowing Yugi will be still sitting by his side for fear that he may be killed and went to start pouring some of the liquor in the shot glass left for him.

Aqua watched him with narrowed eyes, thumb held up. Soon, a spark came and a flame appeared upon the tip of his claw, shocking the convict a little. "What is this, a magic trick?" he questioned.

_"Think of it as you will but I'm only doing this out the kindness of my heart for someone so low such as yourself."_ Aqua said. "Watch the insults unless you want this kid's brains to be blown out." he hissed.

Aqua only snarled lightly in annoyance and brought the flame over to the cigarette in his mouth and the convict smiled. "Oh yeah, forgot about my smoke. Thanks." he said, taking a puff, never seeing both Yami and Aqua smirking.

Jou wanted to look up but didn't want to risk being shot at. "Do you think Yugi will be alright with whoever is trying to save him?" Honda asked from beside him. "I'm sure we can. Hopefully nothing will happen to them." Jou whispered back.

The convict was taking another puff when he realized the smirk on their faces. "What are you smirking about?" he demanded. _"We're just smirking to know how easily you played into my trap. Russian vodka is highly flammable, one spark and you're up in flames."_ Aqua said, the flame from the tip of his thumb dropping onto the back of the convict's hand, not burning him but he could feel the heat radiating off it strongly.

_"Don't drop it or it will mean your death."_ Yami said and the convict gulped, remembering he was still pouring the drink and it now spilled over the glass and onto his lap.

_'Great, I can't lose this little game but if I don't get rid of this flame, it may drop and I'll be bursting into flames. I can't move at all, not even to stop pouring the drink. My luck's just ran out.'_ he thought in fear. Yami and Aqua stood up from their seats and Yami pulled Yugi away from the convict, leading him over to his friends.

"Am I safe, mou hitori no boku?" he asked. "Yes, you're safe now and so is everyone else. Only fools would try to play such a game of deadly proportions and think they may win." Yami said, looking back to the struggling convict.

He glared and placed his gun down on the table, snuffing out the flame on his hand before placing the bottle down. "You will pay for that little stunt, kid!" he said, picking up the gun and shot it at them but instead of a bullet, fire rushed out from it and formed into a flaming dragon. It roared and he gasped in surprise.

_"Yami no games aren't played without a punishment to its loser and since you lost, you'll have to pay the price."_ Aqua hissed as the dragon flew towards him, mouth opened wide. People started to look up to see what was going on but the shadows floated around them like a mist, causing them to fall asleep.

Yami held Yugi in his arms who was placed into a dreamless sleep for the time being. The flaming dragon engulfed the convict and he screamed in pain as the flames burned his flesh. They watched with narrowed eyes before the dragon stopped its torture and turned to them and bowed low before disappearing.

"Since I had that dreadful bully that stole other people digital pets the last time, you can have him since you defeated him." Yami said. "I'm going to take aibou and his friends back to the house before the spell that keeps us real disappears once more." he continued and Aqua nodded.

The shadows engulfed him and both Honda and Jou before leaving out of the restaurant. Aqua turned to the convict's body and gorged upon his flesh and soul, finishing up quickly and disposing of the skeleton to keep talk about the mysterious deaths to a minimum since it was starting to become a spreading rumor that all know was true. After the deed was done, he disappeared as well, feeling his true form becoming nothing but a spirit once more.

When he got back to the game shop, he entered Yugi's room and stood next to Yami. /I'm really starting to hate these random moments where we have a true form and can actually touch Yugi-dono but it never last long, only until we get him out of fatal dangers./ Aqua murmured.

/I know how you feel, Aqua, but soon we'll have permanent forms and hopefully aibou's heart as well. I still dread the thoughts of him rejecting us once he learns we are demons./ Yami said.

Aqua looked to him silently before speaking. /Do you really think he would?/ he questioned. /He could. We kept it hidden from him and we are soul partners. We should tell him everything like he would tell us everything but we are afraid that he may seal us back inside and we can't risk that again. We have been sealed back into cold chains many times and I for one will not like being sealed back into the puzzle and those chains again./ Yami said and Aqua agreed before he left back into the puzzle.

Yami stayed out for a while longer before he felt Dae Raca coming back. He popped out from the shadows and bowed down before Yami before raising his head. /The girl is prepared for your feast. Whenever you are ready, you can go. She is trapped within her house so she can't leave unless she learns of a way to bypass the shadows. The shadows even added power to her frail soul so after her soul, any other meals may give you both the power to gain a true form./ Dae Raca said.

Yami nodded. /Good. Keep an eye on her just in case and if she escapes, lead her to the park and we'll deal with her there./ he said and he nodded before leaving once more. He then look out to the darkening sky and then back to Yugi.

_'Soon, little master. Very soon we will tell you and I still hope you will accept us.'_ he thought, never knowing it went through to him and when he left to go back into the puzzle to rest, Yugi spoke out one thing.

"I will always accept you both. Never forget that." he whispered in his slumber.

0

Zypher: So close and yet so far. Will Yami and Aqua still be with Yugi after telling him their most deadly secret? Well, we'll never know for a few more chapters but at least we're getting to Anzu's death and I know how much you all love that. I hoped you all liked this chapter very much and will be waiting for the next one eagerly. I'll get working on it soon enough so you can all read of Anzu's demise like always. See you soon.


	8. Time's Up

Zypher: Thanks for all your wonderful reviews. Simply love them as always. Like I said, this chapter will be Anzu's demise. And what fun Yami and Aqua will have with this. Enjoy since I know you will.

0

Yami no Game: Death's Awakening

Chapter 8

0

The next day, Yugi woke up to the sun filtering into his room and yawned. He saw he was back in his room and remembered what happened yesterday. _'Mou hitori no boku saved me like he promised. He and Aqua are always there to help when something bad happens. I'm glad for that.'_ he thought before getting out of bed. Grabbing a change of clothes, he left for the bathroom.

Yami and Aqua came out of the puzzle when he left and left for the two guest rooms where his friends were staying. They made sure that they were still sleeping off the mist before they left and waited for Yugi. When he came out the bathroom, he smiled up to them.

"Thanks for helping me and the other people yesterday from that convict." Yugi said as he walked downstairs with them by his side. /It was no problem, aibou. We couldn't let you or any innocent people get hurt./ Yami said. /And your friends are here as well. We brought them back with us after we left the restaurant./ Aqua added and Yugi nodded.

He entered the kitchen and his grandfather placed a plate of food in front of him along with another two once Yugi told him that his friends came to spend the night yesterday. When Jou and Honda came downstairs, they ate as well and once they were done, they all headed into the living room to decide on what they could do today.

"Maybe we could do something at the park." Honda said. "Yeah, we could. Or maybe we could head down to the beach. That would be nice." Yugi suggested. "I go with his idea. I could go for a swim and it is pretty warm outside." Jou replied and they agreed to that.

Yugi went to get his swim trunks while his friends left so they could do the same, agreeing to meet at the beach. /We have something else that we need to do, Yugi-dono. I hope you don't mind./ Aqua said.

"No, I don't mind at all. You know you don't need to always be near me. I always keep the puzzle on so it will tell you if I'm in danger." Yugi said, looking to them. They smiled and thanked him before leaving. They made their way towards Anzu's home, seeing at it was easy to find because of the shadow power radiating from it.

0

Anzu was curled up on her bed, wishing she could leave but living shadows always blocked her way out so she couldn't leave. And Dae Raca told her before leaving that Yami and Aqua will be coming soon for her soul and flesh. And she was determined not to lose either.

_'But how? I can barely move and these shadows are keeping me in here. I'll never be able to leave until they get here and they'll probably kill me before letting me escape.'_ she thought. Her only source of light was a lamp but it was starting to dim.

She curled up more, whimpering in fear and soon, her bulb blew out and all was silent. She gulped and looked around, trying to find any sign of Yami or Aqua in her room but it was too silent that she almost believed they weren't there.

Glowing crimson eyes stared down at her coldly as Aqua's silhouette appeared behind her, fangs shining brightly in the darkness and she shivered, feeling that someone was watching her.

_"You better run."_ he hissed and that was enough to get her out of her bed and running down the dark halls. Aqua laughed darkly as he followed her. She knew that her demise was coming soon but they were going to play with her before devouring her. _'And this will be the best fun we had yet. Her fear radiates off her so strongly that it makes us hunger for her flesh and soul even more.'_ he thought.

0

At the beach, Yugi was playing with his friends in the water, splashing them and attempting to dunk them underwater. His thoughts, though, were focused on where Yami and Aqua could've gone to. _'I wonder what they're doing. I mean, they can only do so much as spirits.'_ he thought before he was dunked by Honda who was then tackled down by Jou and they laughed and they played around some more before relaxing on their beach towels.

"Do you guys want anything to eat?" he asked, looking to them. "Sure, I could use a hotdog." Jou said. "Same for me." Honda added and Yugi nodded as he went to go get what they wanted along with something for himself.

0

Anzu continued to run through the halls, trying to find a way out but it was useless. _"You can't escape your fate. Your fate is ours."_ Yami spoke from the shadows and she cried out, falling flat on her face from a shadow tendril that tripped her.

Soon, the room was lit up dimly and she looked up, seeing both Yami and Aqua, now with a true form for the short time they had since the puzzle knew Yugi wasn't in danger, staring her down. "What do you want from me? I never even hurt Yugi."

_"But you made fun of him and called him names. You're lucky your death wasn't sooner. But instead of consuming your flesh and soul now, we'll play a little game instead. But this game will determine whether you will live or die. If you don't cooperate, your death will be early."_ Aqua said. "Fine, I'll play! Just don't kill me!" she cried, tears running down her face as she sobbed.

**_"Enough crying!"_** Yami roared and she stopped automatically.

_"It becomes annoying after a while. Now, the game we'll play is hide and seek. You have the expanse of your house to hide and we'll have thirty minutes to find you. If you wish, you can switch hiding places but be careful because you never know if we're nearby. If we catch you, the game is over and we win but if you can elude us in those thirty minutes, your life will be spared. But be warned, we have the upper advantage and your fear is what can lead us to you."_ Yami said.

Aqua held an hourglass in his hands and he placed it on a pedestal made of shadows. _"Your time starts now."_ he said and they soon disappeared from sight. She stood up and ran off, trying to find a place to hide. She entered the kitchen and hid under the sink, finding it to be the best place at the moment.

_'I hope they don't find me.'_ she thought. She was unaware that Aqua was in the shadows right behind her and he hissed softly like a snake's warning before it strikes, catching her attention and she jumped out quickly, banging her ankle and limped off, trying to find another spot to hide.

_'Note to self, if they can hide in the shadows, don't try for dark places.'_ she thought as she ran through the living room, bypassing the hourglass and looking at it for a brief second, saw she only had half the time now. _'Need to find another spot and quick.'_ she thought as she looked around. She saw a small spot behind where he couch met the wall and she slipped inside.

Aqua walked into the room, sniffing the air lightly. _"Come out, come out wherever you are."_He whispered as he looked around. He came closer to Anzu's hiding spot and she held her breath, hoping he would leave without knowing she was there. He sniffed around once more before leaving, intentionally leaving her where she hid, already knowing she was there but didn't want to end the game too early.

She let out a breath, glad she was able to avoid him. "If he didn't see me here, I probably have a chance." she whispered to herself and slipped out just enough so she could watch the hourglass.

She saw that now, she only had ten minutes left and she sighed in relief. _'No sign of those demons and only ten minutes to wait off, I'm safe.'_ she thought, unaware that Yami and Aqua were sitting on the couch, just waiting for her to slip up. "This shouldn't take long." Yami murmured and Aqua nodded.

0

It was soon getting late, grey clouds looming overhead, and they gathered their things before leaving the beach. "Man that was fun. And the best way to finish off a pretty good weekend if you don't count what happened yesterday." Jou said and they nodded.

"Well, I'm going to head home now. See you guys in school tomorrow." Honda said and they waved to him as he left. "I better do the same. See you tomorrow, Yugi." Yugi watched as Jou left before he started his walk home.

_'Hopefully Yami and Aqua are back before I am.'_ he thought.

0

There was only five minutes left and Anzu was calmly relaxing, thinking she won and eluded Yami and Aqua throughout the time limit given. They continued to sit on the couch, waiting for the right time. "Shall we?" Aqua asked. Yami nodded with a smirk.

"Lets." he said and got up silently, leaving into the shadows and Aqua moved his head to the side she wasn't facing. He snickered softly before taking a big breath and roared like a dragon would, scaring her out of her wits.

"AHH!" she screamed as she jumped up and dashed out from behind the couch. He laughed and went to follow her as she rushed upstairs. _'Only five minutes, I just need to escape him for the next five minutes and I'll never have to see them again.'_ she thought as she ran into her room and slipped under her bed. Aqua came in as well and looked down at her.

_"You are such a stupid child. Do you really think you could escape us?"_ Aqua growled as he reached under her bed for her and she tried to scoot back but her back hit the wall and she whimpered more as he reached for her. _"You're taking forever, Aqua."_ Yami grunted as he grabbed her through the shadows and she screamed but it was muffled as she was dragged back in.

Yami walked out and Aqua looked to him with a small glare. _"I almost had her if she quit moving. That's why I couldn't reach her."_ Aqua muttered as he stood. _"Enough arguing. As for you, you lost the game so you have to take the punishment."_ Yami spoke, looking down to her.

"I don't want to die!" she cried.

_"Well, too bad. You should've never messed with our master in the beginning. We know of his memories now and we know you are the one that has hurt him mentally while Ushio was the one that hurt him physically. We don't want any pain of any kind to be done to Yugi-dono and we will deal with all causes."_

Yami threw her to the ground and she tried to get away but she screamed out as Yami's claws dug into her back when he stepped on her to keep her from getting away. _"Your time is up."_ he hissed as they both kneeled down. "No! NO!" she screamed but she was cut off when Aqua wrapped his tail around her neck, choking her.

_"Now, what should go first?"_ Yami pondered before taking her arm and with his lengthened claws, dug a tip into the junction where it met with the rest of her body and sliced away tendons and muscle with ease. She tried to scream but Aqua still had a good grip around her neck so she couldn't even let out a squeak.

Once the agonizing task was done, he lifted her severed arm and licked away the blood hungrily before tearing away the flesh, leaving nothing but the off white bone. Once he was done, he threw away the fleshless arm.

Aqua looked down and did the same with her other arm, eagerly gorging on the flesh of the limb. Dazed but still petrified with fear, she watched as blood now flowed from her severed areas, knowing that she will soon be dead.

Yami removed his foot from her back and ripped away her bloodied shirt and dug his sharp fangs into her side, taking away a huge chunk of the softened flesh. He swallowed the blood covered chunk before looking up to Aqua. "Let go of her neck. She'll be dead soon anyway." Yami said and he nodded as he uncurled her tail from her neck and started feasting as well.

With each bite of her flesh, they felt more power added to their own and the power of the puzzle that was keeping them with their permanent forms leaving gradually.

Once half of her body was gone and she was on the verge of death did Yami pull her soul from her body and like Dae Raca told him, her soul was brimming with power and knew this was all they need to complete their true form. "Finally, after so long and so many kills, thanks to the help of the shadows, we will have a true form." Yami whispered.

He split the soul in half and handed part of it to Aqua and ate his half, smirking as he felt his regained power that was lost to the puzzle flow within him.

Aqua ate his half as well and once they let the new power of their permanent forms settle within them did they finished off what remained of her body and left, making the house a rundown ruin with the windows and doors boarded up. They flew through the air, seeing the darkening clouds which meant rain was soon to come.

When they finally arrived at the shop, they entered in through the skylight and landed silently. Yami brought in his demon appendages and sighed. "I am so glad to be whole once more." he said, craning his neck lightly before he sat down on Yugi's bed.

"But what are we going to do about telling Yugi-dono how we feel for him and our dark secret? I still don't want to be sent away or locked back into the puzzle." Aqua spoke. "I know but we figure out a way. Surely he won't send us away cause we're part of one soul. How can he send away a part of himself?"

"Yeah, you're right about that but I still worry, though." Aqua whispered. "There's no need to worry, Aqua. We'll tell him soon and he will accept us and if he doesn't then we will agree to leave if he says so." Yami said. He looked to Yami and nodded. They heard the door shut downstairs and they looked to the door, seeing Yugi walking in.

He looked to them and gasped. "But how? I thought you couldn't have a true form unless something bad was happening to me. Or at least I think so."

"Yes, that was true but we did what we need to do in order for us to gain a permanent form so we don't need to stay in the puzzle. Only go in there if we choose to." Yami said.

Yugi dropped his things and ran over to him, wrapping his arms around him in a friendly hug. "Well, I'm glad you two do have a permanent form. I always wanted to spend time with you two but since you were spirits, I knew I couldn't do much. But now that you're not spirits, maybe we can spend the day together one day." Yugi said happily.

Yami smiled and nodded. "Sure. We'll do whatever you want, aibou. I'm glad that you even wish to spend time with us once we have gained a real form." Yami said. "Now why would you think that?" Yugi asked, looking up to him.

"Well, you have friends now thanks to our help so we would expect as much that you would still spend time with them most of the time." he whispered. "Don't think like that. I still will spend time with you two. You're my friends as well. You can join us anytime Jou, Honda and I go out to have fun." Yugi said.

"But we wouldn't want to intrude." Aqua whispered. "Nonsense! Like I said, you're my friends too and you did so much for me. Think of this as my way of thanking you for helping me after releasing you from the puzzle." Yugi said and they nodded.

"Ok then." Yami said. Yugi smiled and stayed within his arms, listening to the soft pitter patter of the rain on the skylight. Aqua yawned lightly and lied down on the floor, soon falling asleep.

It was a while before Yugi fell asleep as well and Yami laid him down in his bed, covering him up before sitting back down, still pondering on his thoughts. _'I need to stop thinking about it. I know he won't really send us away. At least I hope not.'_ Yami thought as he looked down to the young master.

0

Zypher: And that's all for this chapter. Anzu dead! -cheers- And now they have permanent forms! -cheers even more- Now! I need to get back to what I was thinking about before I forget. For the next chapter, which I already have planned, will have another yami no game, both being along the same lines but I don't which to choose from.

Just for a hint, the next chapter will deal with the carnival episode so you should know which game I'm talking about. With enough rambling on my part, here's the two bomb games from both the manga and anime but I don't know which to choose. The first you readers may know of but if you don't, here it is:

Manga ver: Clock Solitaire - Yami and Aqua will have to play a card game based off the positions of a clock. They will have to complete hours based on what card they draw but whatever set they complete will determine which Ferris wheel car blows up. They have 10 mins to solve the king set or all cars will explode.

Anime ver: Balloon Bomb Game - There are many colorful balloons representing each number of a seat on the Ferris wheel. When a colored balloon is released, a specific seat will explode. Yami and Aqua have 15 mins. to solve the game.

For both games, there are only three people on the Ferris wheel, the bomber, another person and Yugi (since Anzu is dead but who cares). So send in your choice and I'll get on with writing the chapter in advance. See you soon.


	9. An Explosive Day at Domino Park

Zypher: Hi all and I thank you all for reviewing the last chapter. I also thank you for voting so here's the next chapter for you all. Enjoy.

0

Yami no Game: Death's Awakening

Chapter 9

0

Yugi immensely enjoyed the time he was able to spend with Yami and Aqua, letting them meet with his friends and just going out to explore the city and telling them about some places in Domino. As weeks and soon months went by, their bond became stronger and Yami knew that not even the forces of the puzzle could tear them apart.

It was only one more day before summer vacation arrived and all the students were eager to finish the day up so they could start on their well-earned break. Yugi, Jou and Honda were in their last class, Jou and Honda watching the clock heatedly and Yugi drawing small doodles on the empty page that sat in front of him.

The bell finally rang and both Jou and Honda cheered. They all filed out of the room and Jou and Honda almost leapt up with joy with being out of school. "Finally! We're out of that prison they call a learning facility!" Jou cried, pumping his fist into the air.

"Yeah, I'm happy as well but that's just the start of everything. Did you guys hear about the new water park that opened up at Domino Park?" Honda questioned and they nodded. "I say we plan out a day and head there. I bet Yami and Aqua can use the fun." he said and Yugi nodded.

"Yeah. I bet some fun will lighten them up." Yugi agreed. "How about we go out this Saturday? Now that summer's here, there will be hot days to come and I'm sure it will be pretty hot this weekend." he suggested and they nodded before they all headed home.

0

Yugi entered the game shop and headed straight up to him room, seeing Aqua asleep on his bed and Yami sitting on the ledge of his window. "Yami, I want to ask you something." Yugi said. He turned to him before leaving the ledge and walked over to him.

"What is it, aibou?" he asked. "Well, it's finally summer vacation for us and my friends planned to head to Domino Park this Saturday. We wanted to invite you and Aqua as well so would you like to come with us?" Yugi asked.

"Sure if it won't be any trouble on your part."

"I told you before, mou hitori no boku, you're not any trouble at all. Stop putting yourself down on so many things." Yugi said as he hugged the reformed spirit. Yami returned the hug and smiled. "Ok then. I'll stop putting myself down." he murmured and Yugi nodded.

"That's all I want. You two don't need to separate yourselves from me and my friends and think that you may be out of place. You are my friends too and I don't want you to think of yourselves any lower than that." he reassured and Yami nodded.

Yami released Yugi and he moved away from him. "Well, I might need to leave out again to buy some swimming trunks for you and Aqua so if you would like to come, you can." Yugi said and he nodded.

"Of course, Aqua will probably be awake by the time you leave so we can all go." Yami said and he nodded once more before asking if he would like something to eat since he was about to head back downstairs to make him something for himself and Yami told him what he wanted.

Yugi nodded and soon headed downstairs while Yami resumed his spot on the windowsill.

0

After Aqua woke up, they all left to head to the mall to buy something for Yami and Aqua to wear while they were at the water park. "Go ahead and choose what you want." They nodded and looked through the store, looking for a pair of swim trunks that they liked. They soon came back with a pair they wanted and Yugi paid for them before they left out.

Yugi told them about the park and the many rides and games they had there. "Oh you two will love it. It will probably be better than anything you did in the past." Yami nodded in agreement.

"I'm sure it will, aibou."

0

The next day, Yugi woke up before Yami and Aqua and left out his bed without waking the two slumbering spirits before going to get ready. He came back in the room, dressed and shook Yami and Aqua awake.

"Come on you two, we need to get ready before Honda and Jou get here." he said and they nodded before getting out of bed. They went to get dressed while Yugi headed downstairs to fix breakfast for them and himself. His grandfather was reading the morning paper and on the front page was another story of the mysterious card bomber that has plague the city with his deadly games using bombs.

_'That's the third time. Whoever this card bomber is, he's hurting so many people with his games.'_ Yugi thought before he heard Yami and Aqua walk downstairs. They greeted Yugi's grandfather before sitting down at the table and eating the bowl of cereal Yugi had left for them. Once they were done, Yugi ran back upstairs the grab some towels and placed them into a beach bag just as the doorbell rang.

He ran back downstairs and called Yami and Aqua from the kitchen. They came out and they all walked over to the front door. Yugi opened the door and greeted his friends before they all left out and started making their way to the park.

0

"Hey, there's the park!" Jou exclaimed and they all looked to where he was pointing, the colorful sign of Domino Park hanging over the entrance that was filled with people of all ages heading inside, most wearing their own swimsuits for the new water park. Yugi smiled widely and grabbed onto Aqua's hand. "Come on! Let's go!" he said happily as he ran off with him in tow. The others followed behind him, paying for their ticket before entering inside.

"Man, look at all these rides and games!" Honda exclaimed. "I know! What should we do first?" Yugi asked. "Since it's already hot, how about we head over to the water park and go on that new Wonder Slider ride." Jou suggested and they nodded.

The thought of seeing Yami and Aqua in nothing but their swimming trunks made Yugi blush lightly but he shook his head. _'I shouldn't be thinking that. They both are my other halves granted from the puzzle and nothing more than that…right?'_ he thought and was confused at his own thinking.

They made it over to the new water park and went to change. They came out later and Yugi looked over to Yami and Aqua and gasped lightly in awe. No words could describe how they looked. _'Why am I thinking this way? Could I really like them_ _in that way__after so long?'_he thought. He felt Aqua tap his shoulder and he looked up to him.

"Are you ready to go? Your friends already went to get the tubes." Aqua said and he nodded. "Let's get going then." he said as he walked off and Yugi tailed behind him. Jou gave him a two man tube before he took his own and ran up the stairs with Honda, whooping out loud.

Yugi smiled at his two energetic friends before looking over to Yami who went to lie down on a beach chair. "Don't you want to come, Yami?" Yugi asked. "I'll wait for you to come back down and we can ride together." Yami replied and he nodded. "Come on then, Yugi." Aqua said, taking his hand, the other holding the tube and they walked up the stairs to the top of the slide.

As they were heading up, they heard Jou and Honda cheering as they went down and they quickly made their way up there as well. It was a short wait but their turn came. Aqua placed the tube into the water and Yugi climbed in first before Aqua climbed in behind him and Yugi had a blush dusting his cheeks as he leaned against Aqua's chest.

They soon went down the tube, Yugi laughing all the way down and Aqua smiled, seeing his young master happy. They hit the pool and were splashed. Yugi laughed and looked back to Aqua. "That was fun, wasn't it!" Yugi said and he nodded.

Aqua climbed out and lifted Yugi off the tube and into the water. He then looked over to Yami. "Come on and try it. It is fun like they said." he called and Yami opened his eyes before nodding and got up.

Yugi dragged the tube through the water and Yami picked it up along with him. Jou waved from the stairs. "Come on! You two are slow!" he said and Yami walked over and up the stairs behind the other two excited teens.

Aqua went to lie down in the beach chair, closing his eyes. Yami let Yugi down when they got to the top and Yugi climbed into the front of the tube once more once Yami placed it into the water. They slid down and Yami laughed good-natured, never having this much fun before that wasn't related to a yami no game.

He fell back into the water and Yugi looked around for him before he felt his legs being grabbed and he was dragged underwater. He squealed as he was pulled down and Yami smiled as he appeared above the water.

Yugi came up as well and Yami turned around to look over at Jou and Honda and Yugi saw the strange tattoo that was etched onto Yami's back. The tattoo was a pair of black wings that was near his shoulder blades. Another tattoo that was only partly covered near his tailbone was that of a curled dragon's tail, also done in black.

_'I wonder where those came from.'_ Yugi thought before Yami turned back to him. "How about we go and play with Jou and Honda?" he suggested and Yugi nodded. "I'll meet you there." Yami said as he got out of the water and went to take the tube back.

Yugi swam over to his friends and tackled Honda into the water who yelped from being attacked suddenly. "Dogpile!" Jou called as he jumped on both of them, sending them underwater. Yami joined them and they played around in the water for a bit before Yugi, Jou and Honda went to relax and both Yami and Aqua did some swimming in the large pool next to the slide.

Yugi watched them, thoughts still on why he reacted so lovingly after seeing them. _'There's has to be some sort of explanation but I know it can't be because I love them. They're only my friends that have helped me a long way ever since I helped them out of the puzzle. I love them like a friend and no more than that. But every time I think so, it feels like a blow to my heart…'_he thought before sighing lightly, lying back in the beach chair.

_'Maybe I do like them but I can't tell them. It might ruin the bond we have with each other.'_

After a while at staying in the water park, they left out, riding on some of the rides before going to the food court and got something to eat. "Man this is great! What should we do next?" Jou questioned, looking to them. "I want to ride on the Ferris wheel. What about you two?" Yugi asked, looking to them.

"We might go on some more roller coasters. If you want, we can meet you three back at the entrance when it's time to go." Honda said. "Alright, we'll leave out of here around seven." Yugi spoke and they agreed with that before they finished their food and headed off in different directions.

As they were walking, Yugi saw some police officers standing around. "I wonder what they could be here for?" he wondered and Yami looked to them as well. "It's seems that they're here for something. What it could be is what I don't know." Yami said. Yugi then thought of something. "You don't think that card bomber would be here? I mean, this would be a perfect place to harm a lot of people." Yugi whispered worriedly.

"Don't worry. If he is here, we'll take care of him." Aqua reassured and Yugi only nodded before they continued on their way to the Ferris wheel. When they got there, Yugi looked over to Yami and Aqua and asked if they wanted to get on with him. They politely declined, having something else in mind and Yugi nodded before he went to get on.

When he was on, the Ferris wheel went around for a short while before it stopped. He was confused on why it stopped and then heard the announcements about a bomb being somewhere in the park. _'Oh no, the card bomber's here.'_ he thought in worry and looked down.

0

"It's only five minutes before the time on the calling card. What should we do?" The policeman asked the chief of the police force. "We'll just have to wait. We can't do anything that might endanger the people." The chief spoke. Soon, the detective's phone rang and he answered it. "Yes, this is the detective in charge of the bomb investigation at the park. Who is it?" he asked and heard laughter over the phone.

"I thought I would call to give you a hint on where the bomb is. The bomb is located on the Ferris wheel." The bomber said and he gasped. "The Ferris wheel!" he exclaimed, catching Yami and Aqua's attention. The chief turned to one of the officers. "How many people are on that ride?" he asked. "Three people sir. One in cars 1, 3 and 13." The officer replied.

"We have to get them out of there." he said but then heard the voice of the bomber. "I'm sorry but you can't do that. I'll blow up the entire ride if you try to save them. Instead, I'll play a game with you." The bomber continued with sick glee.

They heard this and growled. _'This man will pay for endangering aibou's life.'_ Yami thought, shadows growing around him. "What do you want us to do?" The chief asked once more.

"Get a deck of cards without the jokers. When you have it, tell me and I'll give you the rules." he said and the chief told one of the officers to do as he said. When he came back with the cards, the chief told the bomber that.

"Good. Now, the Ferris wheel takes 10 minutes to make a full turn. In that time, the bomb will explode unless you can solve my card game." The bomber said and the chief looked up. "We won't be able to do this! Who here is good at card games?!" he questioned and Yami stepped up. "My friend and I are. Let me see your cell phone." Yami replied and the chief handed him the phone.

"Alright you, I'm here. What game are we playing?" he said and the bomber laughed once again. "We're playing Clock Solitaire! Now, shuffle the deck and deal it into 13 piles like a clock with one in the center." he said and Yami did so. "Now, take the first card from the center which is the 13:00 pile," he continued and Yami drew the first card which was three.

"Now, place the drawn card under it specific pile and draw from the top of the pile you placed the car under. Once you complete one of the sets, you're in for a surprise." The bomber said and Aqua hissed as Yami continue drawing cards, placing them under each pile until he completed the 4:00 pile.

When he was done, the number four car exploded. His eyes widened and growled. "That's a low trick. Now I see what you're up to." he snarled. "Yes but you're in the game now and you can't quit. Do so and everyone on the ride will be dead!" The bomber said and laughed.

"You will pay for this." Aqua growled. Yugi from his car whimpered, seeing the demolished pieces of the car above him falling onto his. _'Please. Save me, Yami.'_ Yami looked up to him and nodded as if he heard his thoughts. _'Don't worry. I will. I'm not going to let you die.'_ he thought before he continued on with the game.

Five minutes into the game and Yami already completed the 8:00 position and 5:00 position. There were already three number three cards under the 3:00 position and he worried about drawing the last one.

_'I can't. I just can't. I'm not going to lose aibou.'_ he thought as he placed another ace under the 1:00 pile. He knew there was only one way how to win this game and that was to finish the 13:00 pile and he was only one card away from it.

And he only had five seconds before the time on the calling card and if this wasn't it, he will lose Yugi anyway. _'This last draw counts of the lives of the people on that ride. Please be it.'_ he thought as he drew the card and smiled, seeing it was the last king. The chief and officers sighed in relief and so did Aqua.

"The four kings are out! And just in time." Aqua said. "Alright, let's evacuate the riders." The chief called as the Ferris wheel continued its rotation and the police let out Yugi and the person in car 1. He ran over to Yami and hugged him. "Oh, thank you! Thank you so much for saving us!" Yugi cried but then looked back over to the Ferris wheel.

"But if the kings pile was completed, why didn't the car 13 blow up?" he questioned, looking up to Yami. "Because, the person in car 13 was the bomber posing as a hostage. He needed a place to see the game so he knew what cars to blow up. But don't worry, he's taken care of." Yami said as the police pulled him out but one felt for a pulse and found nothing.

Without them noticing, Aqua held his soul and some of it seeped into Yami while he devoured the rest to have their power grow more. Jou and Honda finally ran over to where they were. "What happened? We heard the announcement but we couldn't make it over here because of the people running out of the park." Jou said.

"It's ok. Everything's alright now. The card bomber was here but Yami played the game and won to save me and another hostage that was on the Ferris wheel." Yugi said. "That was lucky. You should be glad they were there for you." Honda said and he nodded.

"I am and I never want them to leave me. I would feel horrible losing my other halves." Yugi whispered and Yami pat his head lightly. "We will never leave you, Yugi. Only your choice will decide whether we leave you or not." Yami murmured and he nodded. "We better go now. It's getting late and the park may be closed for a while after this incident." Aqua said and they nodded as they left out.

0

Zypher: And that's all for this chapter. I do hope you liked and enjoyed it. I'll see you all soon.


	10. Beauty Competition Sabotage

Zypher: -eating jar of cookies given to her by a reviewer- Like always, I thank you all for reviewing the last chapter so here's the next one for you all. Also, the new OC being used in this chapter belongs to a friend of mine. Her name is Zella and she's a cat girl.

0

Yami no Game: Death's Awakening

Chapter 10

0

Everything was back to normal even after what happened at the park and Yugi was grateful for that. They spent more time out with their friends for the next few days up until school was back in session, much to the disappointment of Honda and Jou.

"Man, another year, another reason to wish that school would just disappear." Jou said and Yugi laughed softly. "Don't worry, Jou. Only two more years and we're out of school for good." Yugi said and he nodded. "Yeah, I still have that to look up to but still! It's too long of a wait!" he whined.

Once they reached the school gates, Honda ran off, remembering that there was a Student Council meeting starting soon and since he was still president for the new year, he couldn't miss it. They waved goodbye to him as he ran off before heading to their new classes for the year.

0

"Alright, everyone! Over the summer, I have thought of some new improvements for the school." Honda said, looking to them all and then saw one boy wasn't listening to him, only looking at a picture of a girl.

"Hey, Hosuro! Will you pay attention and stop looking at that picture of that nasty senior, Kaoruko!" Honda yelled. Hosuro only grunted. "Only _you_ would say that. Don't you know that Kaoruko is the hottest girl in the school? No one could compete with her! She already has a fan club bigger than Anzu's ever since she disappeared." Hosuro said.

"Likely story! The girl that I think is the hottest is Miho! Hands down!" Honda argued. "Oh really? I suggest them we start a contest. A Beauty Contest for the whole school." Hosuro demanded. "Fine by me! A week from now we'll host a beauty contest for the girls and we'll see who wins." he growled before adjourning the meeting, both love-struck boys glaring at one another as they left out, Honda totally forgetting the new changes he was supposed to announce at the meeting.

0

In one of his classes, Yugi was called into the office and worrying it may be something bad, he called for Aqua to be by his side. He appeared beside him in spirit form, glad that he was able to retain said form so he wouldn't be seen by others.

/Don't worry, Yugi-dono. I don't think it's something bad./ Aqua told him and Yugi nodded. "You may be right." he murmured as he walked into the principal's office. The principal turned and smiled. "Ah Yugi, just who I wanted to see." he said as he stood up from his seat.

"What do you need, Mr. Suno?" Yugi asked. "We just had a new transfer student come in and she's in your first period class and most of your classes afterwards. I want you to escort her around if you don't mind." Mr. Suno said.

"Oh, I can do that. Where is she?" he asked. "I'm right here." The new girl whispered as she stepped out from the shadows she was hiding in. "Yugi, this is Zella." Mr. Suno said, pointing to her. "Zella, Yugi will be your escort to classes and around the school campus. If you have any questions, ask him." he said and she nodded.

"Come on, Zella. We better head back to class." Yugi said and she nodded as she followed him out of the office and down to her first class. He looked up to her and saw the black cat ears and also her tail. "So, you are a cat girl. Never thought I would see someone like you in person." Yugi said. "You're not going make fun of me, will you?" she asked.

"No! I would never! I know how it felt to be messed with. I used to be a whole bunch of times before I was protected by two very close friends of mine and I wish to be your friend as well so you feel more at home here."

"Really? I never thought I would make a friend so soon on my first day." Zella said with a small smile as they stopped in front of the door to their first class. "Wait here, I'll tell the teacher that you're a new student." Yugi said and she nodded, holding her shoulder bag tightly as she watched Yugi enter the room to tell the teacher about her and when he called her in, she breathed in lightly before entering the class.

0

As lunch rolled by, Zella did get some looks from some of the boys. Some even decided to ask her out but she politely declined and met up with Yugi once more who led her over to the table where he, Jou and Honda sat.

He introduced her to them and she became quick friends with the two. "So Honda, what with this beauty contest you started up now?" Jou asked. "Some punk in the Student Council thinks that preppy senior Kaoruko is the hottest girl in school! Pfft! Like I'll believe that! My heart is to Miho and that's all there is to it! I really hope she enters." Honda said.

"She may." Yugi said as a thought before looking to Zella. "Maybe you should enter too Zella so you could be more well known in school." he said. "I'll think about it. I already have too much with all these boys asking me out on my first day here. I'm starting to think they're try to date me because I'm part cat or because of my looks." Zella told them.

"Hah! Only a boy who's blind would want to go out with you!" A girl's voice said and they turned to see Kaoruko standing there. "What do you want, Kaoruko?" Jou growled.

"Shut it, dog. Just want to see what all these boys are talking about. And they're talking about this freak? It's a shame that such a freak is in this school. She's tarnishing my beauty with her presence." Kaoruko said with a laugh. Yugi stood up and looked to the senior. "Don't make fun of Zella like that. This is her first day and she doesn't need someone like you messing with her." he defended.

"And what's a little pipsqueak like **_you_** going to do about it?" Kaoruko spat. "You can barely reach my shoulder so why don't you back off." she continued before she saw Honda stand. "Why don't _you_ back off? Maybe you can settle who's better at the beauty competition and I think you'll lose easily." he told her and she only laughed again.

"We'll see. I'll blow away all competition and take my rightful place as the most beautiful girl in school and no freak will show me otherwise." Kaoruko snapped before leaving. "Man, she's worse than Anzu." Honda muttered as he and Yugi sat back down. Yugi looked up to Zella and saw her head was bowed down.

"Oh, Zella. I'm so sorry you had to go through that." Yugi whispered, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, I'm fine." she said, looking back to them with a smile before turning her head and glaring at Kaoruko's back. "I'll show her. I'll enter that contest and show that natural beauty wins over preppiness." she said and they nodded.

"And if you don't win, believe in Miho. She'll show her also. I wouldn't mind if one of you two won, as long as it's not Kaoruko." Honda said and she nodded. "I won't let you down if Miho doesn't make it." Zella said before they continued to eat their lunch.

0

The next day, the sign-up sheet for the beauty competition was up and many girls signed up. Yugi watched as Zella signed up and turned to smile over at Yugi. He smiled and back and then felt Yami and Aqua standing by his side.

/A beauty contest, eh? We think you should enter./ Yami said. "Oh, I couldn't enter, it's only for girls." Yugi whispered, looking to them. "Besides, what makes you think I would win a beauty contest? I'm not all that beautiful." he murmured under his breath. /But you are, Yugi-dono. The most beautiful person we've seen in our lives./ Aqua said and he blushed lightly.

Zella walked over and saw him blushing. "Now what are you blushing for, Yugi?" she asked. He jumped up a little and looked up to her. "Oh, no reason. I was just thinking about something." Yugi replied softly and she smiled.

"Ok then, whatever you say. Come on and let's get to class." she said and he nodded and they both headed off to their classes, Aqua following behind but Yami stayed behind. Once the crowd of girls dispersed he walked over to the sign-up sheet and using his magic, placed the name 'Yuki Vanima' on the list. _'We'll prove to you in our own way, little one, that you are beautiful.'_ he thought before he left to head back into the puzzle for the day.

0

After school that day, Yugi, Honda, Zella and Jou headed out to the mall to buy some outfits for Zella to wear for the beauty contest. Honda was disappointed to learn that Miho wasn't going enter but put his trust in Zella.

He did get a mouthful from Hosuro about his ideal girl ducking out from the contest but he told him about Zella and said she was going to win instead of Kaoruko. _'And I'll prove it to him. It may not be Miho but I'm not going to let some preppy senior win that contest.'_ he thought as they entered into a clothing shop, looking at different outfits and making suggestions to Zella about some.

Yami and Aqua came with them as their regular forms, Yugi introducing them to her. While they were in the store, Yami and Aqua broke away from the group and headed into a different part of the store.

"Did you sign Yugi up for the competition?" Aqua asked and he nodded. "Yes I have and we'll prove to him that he is beautiful, whether girl or boy." Yami said. "Should we tell him soon before the competition starts?" Aqua questioned. "We will. I'll tell him the night before the day of the competition." Yami said and he nodded.

"Yami! Aqua! Come on, we're about to go!" Yugi called and they came over to where he was and they all left out, eagerly waiting for the competition to start.

0

The week went by pretty quick and the day of the competition was next Tuesday. Yugi and his friends spent much time in preparing Zella for the competition, never knowing Yami and Aqua were doing the same for Yugi. After school was over next Monday, Yugi headed home with Yami and Aqua walking by his side.

"Mou hitori no boku, do you think Zella will be able to win?" Yugi asked. "I'm sure she will but you'll never know." Yami said. "I really hope she does win. It will put Kaoruko in her place." Yugi told them as they walked inside.

"But I'm worried. I looked back at the list and there was one girl on there named Yuki Vanima. Who could she be? I never heard about her around school." he wondered as he walked upstairs with them trailing behind. "That would be you." Aqua spoke and he turned around, shocked.

"Me?! It can't be me! I'm not a girl!" Yugi exclaimed.

"Once we're done with you, you will be. Yugi, we want to show you that you are beautiful and although you may be a girl just for the competition, we'll show you the true beauty that lies within you." Yami said.

Yugi looked down, deep in thought before nodding. "Alright, if you say so. But if I do win somehow, I'm giving my prize to Zella cause I don't deserve it."

"If you wish. We won't mind that at all. We'll prove a point to that Kaoruko girl and Zella will be happy to be able to succeed in something when she believed that she would only be made fun of in school." Aqua said and Yugi nodded.

"Well, let's get some sleep before tomorrow. I really do hope you two know what you are doing." Yugi murmured as he brought out his night clothes and headed into the bathroom to change.

_'Don't worry, we do.'_ Yami thought.

0

It was finally the day of the competition and the girls all gathered up in the back. Zella looked around before spotting Kaoruko coming her way. "So, the freak decided to join. You best just go ahead and leave because you'll be disqualified in a flash since you're ugly. Save yourself the humiliation." Kaoruko said.

"No, I'm not leaving and at least I trust in my own natural beauty than what other people say." Zella told her and she growled. "We'll see about that." she snapped and left. _'I'll show her and every other girl here. I'll sabotage this entire contest and have it run in my favor.'_ she thought with a smirk as she got ready to leave out with the other girls.

Yugi was in another part of the backstage and looked to Yami. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" he asked once more. "I'm sure, aibou. Now, hold still and close your eyes." he said and Yugi did so. Yami whispered a quiet spell and soon, the shadows slipped from their normal placed and engulfed Yugi.

After a while, they disappeared and Yugi appeared as a beautiful girl. His once spiky locks of hair were now flowing down behind him, his goldenrod bangs framing his face cutely. He wore the girl's school uniform, only Yami modified it slightly compared to the others. Yugi, or Yuki, opened her eyes, shining amethyst orbs gleaming beautifully even in the dim light.

Yami smiled at his work and knew he would win the competition easily if all goes well. "You're ready now. Go ahead and show Kaoruko who really deserves to win. Come back to me for each round and I'll give you your outfit." Yami said and she nodded as she walked out to join up with the other girls.

When she walked in, Zella looked over to her and gasped at the beauty she possessed. _'Man, if I don't make it, she surely will. She must be Yuki Vanima.'_ she thought and walked over to her, waiting to talk with her before the competition started, catching Karuk's attention.

_'How dare she?! She thinks she's much more beautiful than me! I'll show her, I'm going to win this contest and put them all in their places!'_ she thought as she glared at both Yuki and Zella.

0

"Welcome all to the Domino High Beauty Competition!" Honda announced and got many cheers from the boys in the audience.

"Now, we will go through three simple rounds, each showing each girl's talent, appeal and formality. You all choose who should win the title of most beautiful girl in all of Domino High!" he said once more and gained more cheers from the audience.

"Now, here are our contestants!" he said and started announcing the girls. When he got to Zella, Kaoruko and Yuki, they gained a lot of cheers from the crowds.

Because of that, most girls dropped out of the competition, knowing that they might not have a chance against them. After the Introduction round was done, Honda announced the first round to start.

Zella's talent was a few acrobatics, Kaoruko watching silently and tried to think of a way to mess her up but she couldn't since everyone was watching. _'She's lucky this time but not for long.'_ she thought.

Another girl who decided to stay in the competition went in with a juggling act but Kaoruko sabotage by switching one of the rubber balls she was using to a slightly weighted one so when she grabbed hold of it when it was thrown to her, she would topple over which is what exactly happen and was disqualified.

Kaoruko dressed up as a geisha girl and did a small dance, gaining a lot of attraction from the boys of the crowd and she smiled, glad she had them in the bag.

But when it was Yuki's turn, her talent was a spectacular one. Yami, giving her the power over his shadows, gave her the talent for a small magic show.

She wore a little magician's outfit, complete with a little magic wand and hat, to wear as she manipulated the shadows into elegant birds and even a small panther which did some tricks by her commands, catching the crowd's attention big time by the sight and angering Kaoruko.

_'She won't be smiling for long.'_ she thought as she watched Yuki smile and bow before leaving the stage. The next round, the swimsuit competition, came up which was held outside by the pool.

Kaoruko came out in a red bikini, catching all the guys' attention eagerly with her voluptuous form barely concealed by the swimsuit she wore. _'Let's see those two top that.'_ she thought as she walked off to the side, smirking at the fact she ruined Zella's swimsuit. Zella was inside the changing room, talking with Yuki for a bit as she was about to get dressed into her swimsuit but saw it was ruined.

"Who would dare do such a thing?" she asked quietly to herself and Yuki walked over to place a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. We can think of something before your turn." Yuki said.

She smiled down to her. "Thanks, Yuki. You really sound like a friend of mine. He's always comforts me when I'm feeling down." she said and she smiled, knowing who she was talking about. "It's nice to know that. Now about your swimsuit, why don't you go try the drama room? Maybe they have something there for you." Yuki suggested and she nodded as she ran off.

"I'll hurry back. Make sure that Kaoruko girl doesn't try anything to please the crowd even more!" Zella called and she nodded. "Don't worry, I'll make sure!" she called back before Yami walked over to her side from the shadows.

"Hopefully she'll find something. I have a feeling I know who ruined her swimsuit. But no need to worry about that now." Yami said as he looked down to Yuki and with a quiet spell, he changed her outfit into a glorious swimsuit.

It was a glossy black bikini that had a golden tiger etched onto the top part. Little gold tiger ears donned her head and a sleek golden tiger tail came from the bottom piece. Small tiger feet slippers covered her dainty feet and Yami smiled at his work. "Are you sure you should be doing all this, mou hitori no boku? I don't think this is right." Yuki murmured.

"You may think that but I'm only trying to help. Kaoruko is trying to sabotage all the contestants and she was the one who ruined Zella's swimsuit. I can tell. She may be aiming for you next and I'm not going to let her do anything to hurt you. You don't want a conniving witch such as her win a competition when it was her tricks that gave her the win in the first place." Yami replied and she nodded.

"You're right. Sorry for saying that to you. You were only trying to help." Yuki said softly, bowing her head and Yami placed a hand under her chin and lifted her head back up. "It's alright, aibou. All you did was speak your thoughts. It doesn't hurt me in any way." Yami said and placed a gentle kiss upon her forehead, making her blush.

"Now go out there and show them what true beauty is." Yami said, wrapping a tiger printed towel around her shoulders and she nodded as she walked out. When she did, all attention went to her and Kaoruko opened her eyes when she heard them all taking and looked at her. She growled deeply and bit her thumb nail in anger.

_'Who does she think she is! I'll deal with her soon enough in the last competition. At least I got rid of that cat girl freak.'_ she thought then looked up when someone said something. She gasped when she saw Zella standing there, donned in a mermaid outfit.

She waved to them all before diving into the pool from the high dive board. Yuki clapped in happiness, glad that Zella was able to make it before she could get disqualified.

They all soon headed back inside for the final round and Kaoruko wasn't planning to have Zella or Yuki win this final round. When Zella was alone to get dressed, she covered her mouth and dragged her away to an empty room, tying her up and taping her mouth shut so she wouldn't attract attention to where she was.

She smirked as she left the room and started to write a fake note to give to Yuki so she could deal with her next.

0

Yuki was in the dressing room, Yami making the final touches to her dress. She was in a beautiful white dress with silver linings. Silver shoes were on her feet and silk gloves donned her hands. Plush red lips enhanced her beautiful face and sparkling eyes, a white lily placed into her hair for decoration. Yami smiled, his thoughts claiming Yuki to look like an angel.

_'And he really is too, even as a girl. Hopefully angels like him could take a demon such as me into their pure, gentle hearts.'_ he thought before he left out the room and into the shadows to go sit with the rest of the crowd.

_'Well, this is it. Hopefully nothing will happen.'_ she thought and then looked down when she heard something slip through the crack of her door. She picked up the note and read what was inside. "Who would want to meet me outside in the back alley?" she wondered and now curious about the mysterious person, left out the dressing room and out the back door.

0

Kaoruko smirked as she heard Yuki coming and hid in the shadows, waiting for her to come. When she did, she called out to whoever could be there, walking right past Kaoruko's hiding spot and she took the time to leave out her spot and knock her out.

"So, you think you can be much more beautiful than me. Well, think of this as my way of saying you're not good enough." Kaoruko hissed as she started to rip off parts of her dress. Once she was done with the foul act, she plucked the lily from her hair and crushed it in her hands.

"Not even _you_ can be as delicate as a lily." Kaoruko muttered before leaving, happy that she got rid of the competition. But she didn't know that Yuki sent one last thought to her darker half.

Yami heard the call and quickly made his way to where she was, gasping when he saw her lying on the trash ridden ground. He knelt down beside her and tried to wake her up. "Yugi. Yugi, wake up. What happened?" he asked. Yuki opened her eyes and gently touched a dirt covered, gloved hand to his cheek. "Kaoruko..." Was all she whispered before falling unconscious again.

He growled, his demon side showing itself as he gently picked her up, bridal style, and took her back inside and to her dressing room, sitting her down on a small bed made of shadows and called Dae Raca to watch over her and try everything he could to wake her up so she can go out and finish this contest.

_'I have something else to do.'_ he thought with a hiss as he disappeared into the shadows and to where Kaoruko is.

0

Kaoruko was laughing, glad to be rid of Zella and Yuki. _'Soon, I'll win and no one can say otherwise.'_ she thought, unaware of Yami standing behind her. "Well, I have something to say and that is yami no game." he whispered and she turned to see him standing there.

"What do you want? Come to congratulate me on my win?" she asked, eyes blinking cutely to try and get him to fall head over heels for her like those in her fan club.

"No, I came to play a game with you but not just any game, a game of life or death. You think you could win with tricks just because you don't want anyone to outdo your beauty. That was a low move and you will pay for it." he said with a growl, seeing her attempt.

"Oh really, and what game do you have in mind?" Kaoruko demanded, her bouquet of roses held tightly in her hands, seeing her typical trick didn't work on him. He looked down to them before smirking. "We'll play a game, a game in which we pull roses from your bouquet. Whoever picks up the last one loses. You can take up to three at a time." Yami said and she laughed.

"That's all? I'll be able to win this easily." she said and Yami only nodded, starting off the game by picking out one rose. She picked out two. As the game commenced, Yami continued to pick one and she picked two. Soon after she took her last two roses, she smirked.

"Seems you lose. There's only one rose left." Kaoruko said. "Do you really think that?" he inquired as he reached for the rose before raising his hand higher and plucked the rose she had in her hair. Her eyes widened, forgetting all about that rose. "Now, who lost this little game?" he questioned and she gulped. "What are you going to do to me?" she asked.

He laughed darkly, sending shivers up her spine. "Why don't you look into the mirror behind you." he whispered and she did so, gasping when she saw her face and skin. They were all wrinkled up just like the rose in her hand.

"Every rose has its thorns but you took it too far. You believed too much in your own beauty now see what happen when you can't keep the beauty of a rose." he said, deciding to let her keep her flesh and soul, before disappearing into the shadows, now needing to go find Zella and see if Yuki was awake.

Honda was worried when he didn't see anyone come out on stage. Hosuro was also worried along with Kaoruko's fan club. Soon, the curtain was raised and all saw Kaoruko standing there with ropes tied onto her arms.

She woke up in a daze, instinctively pulling her arms down and caused the buckets of water to fall on her. Seeing this made everyone laugh and she looked to them before lowering her head, knowing she deserved it for what she's done.

From the back, Yami freed Zella and she ran out to the stage before he headed over to Yuki's dressing room. She was awake now and she was gently stroking Dae Raca's head, surprised to see the beast there but saw he was a gentle one. "Yugi, you need to get out there. Kaoruko has been taken care of and she was punished for her trickery." Yami said and she nodded.

"Thanks, mou hitori no boku. I don't know what you may have done but thanks for dealing her something for hurting me." Yuki said. He nodded and fixed up the rip in her dress and placed another lily in her hair before watching as she ran out to the stage as well.

0

After Kaoruko was disqualified, it was a choice between Yuki and Zella. People made their votes carefully and once Honda got the results, he announced the winner. "And the winner of the Beauty Competition is Yuki Vanima!" he said and they crowd cheered as they watched her step up to Honda.

He gave the microphone to her along with the trophy and she smiled to them all. "Thanks for giving me such an honor. I am happy to know I have won but I do not deserve this." she said and they groaned in surprise, some whispered words floating through the crowd.

"If anyone should win this competition, it should be Zella." she said and waved her over. "You won fair and square, Yuki. I don't need this trophy. You keep it." Zella said and Yuki shook her head. "No, you take it. I want you to win and have the glory. Be happy that Kaoruko didn't win." Yuki said and she smiled before hugging the smaller girl.

"Thanks, Yuki." she whispered and Yuki nodded as she was released from the hug. Yuki handed her the trophy. "You can keep the little tiara. I don't want it." she said and Yuki nodded as she watched her stand next to Honda and waved to the crowd who cheered at the newly declared winner.

Yuki smiled and soon left to meet back with Yami. She came past a mirror and looked at herself. _'Maybe mou hitori no boku was right. Even if I am a girl, I could see the beauty he probably saw in me.'_ she thought before she continued on her way back to the dressing room where he waited and he was changed back into his regular self, keeping the tiara and lily on his head, before they left the school quietly.

0

The next day at lunch, Jou, Zella and Honda were talking about the competition when Yugi came to sit at the table with his lunch. Jou turned to Yugi with a big grin on his face. "Oh, Yugi! Where were you yesterday? You missed the big competition!" he said. "Oh, I was out somewhere with Yami and Aqua. What happened?" he asked, already knowing well what happened since he was part of it without them knowing.

"This girl named Yuki Vanima was at the competition and she blew away Kaoruko but she declined the prize and gave it to Zella instead." Jou explained. "That sounded real nice of her. Too bad I couldn't see it." he said, looking to the corner of his eyes at Yami who smiled softly in his spirit form before disappearing.

_'If I wasn't there, something could've happened to Zella and then Kaoruko would've won with her tricks. And not only that but I believed in what Yami told me. But will my natural beauty win his and Aqua's heart? I finally know that I love them but will they love me back?'_

Zella looked over to Yugi and then saw something peculiar. _'Wait...that was the same lily that was in Yuki's hair. Was Yugi actually at the competition as Yuki?'_ she wondered and when she blinked, the lily was gone and she thought of it as her imagination as she talked with Jou and Honda once more, Honda gloating about proving Hosuro wrong.

Yami stood in the shadows, the lily Yugi wore at the competition in his clawed hands. He looked down to the lily and then to Yugi. _'One day, we tell you our secret and our feelings, aibou.'_

0

Zypher: And that's all for this chapter. Well, that was fun. Yugi was a pretty little girl! And he is starting to finally figure out his feeling towards Yami and Aqua! Squee! Anyways, hoped you enjoyed this chapter and will be patiently waiting for the next.

As a late thought, do you think I should add Ryou, Diamond, Kaiser, Seto, etc. somewhere in here as well? Ryou and Bakura will probably be making a cameo appearance in here for the Monster World section of this story but should I add the others in here along with the other yamis (Seto and Ruby (by choice) included) be demons as well? Tell me what you think.

(Vanima is an Elven term for beautiful just in case you were wondering.)


	11. Dragon Rage

Zypher: Hey everyone. Thanks for all your wonderful reviews for the last chapter so here's the next chapter for you all. Hope you all enjoy.

0

Yami no Game: Death's Awakening

Chapter 11

0

A young boy was asleep in his room, having the same recurring dream. Long ago, in China, an army attacks the emperor of that time who held a great power in his hands. When it was accidentally opened, it released its power in the form of terrifying dragons. None survived the dragons' rage and before it could get worse, the boy wakes up.

_'Why do these dreams always occur? Will something happen in the future?'_ The boy thought. He didn't ponder on them anymore and soon got up, getting ready for school.

0

Yugi was walking to school with Jou and Honda, Jou bored out of his mind so he decided to tease him a bit. "Hey, Honda, you know what I always wished for?" he questioned and the other boy looked to him.

"What for? A new brain?" he said and Jou growled. "No! I always wished that I could just reset the world and make it better and beautiful." he said. "You must be crazy. Why would you want to wish that for?" Honda asked.

"Maybe Jou had something in mind if he wants to start over the world." Yugi suggested as they walked into the gates of the school. "Yeah, what he said!" Jou countered, sticking his tongue out at Honda who growled tackled him to the ground, getting him into a headlock.

Yugi laughed softly as he watched his friends before he told them that they should be getting inside and they nodded, Honda letting Jou go and got up. Jou grumbled as he got up as well, grabbing his schoolbag before they all headed inside.

Yugi looked up when he heard voices and saw one of his classmates, Imori, being challenged to a game by two older students on the next floor. "Hey, kid, I have a game for you. Downstairs is a pot and I wanted to see who can get a coin closest to the pot. Whoever wins will have to pay an amount in money." One of the students said and Imori, staying silent to avoid being be hurt, nodded meekly. The two smirked and taking a coin from his pocket, he threw it without looking. It fell and with a silent ring, landing near the pot.

Imori looked over the railing and saw how close the coin was to the pot and sighed, knowing he probably won't be able to win. Jou and Honda were chatting amongst one another and with them occupied, Yugi walked up the stairs and over to the three students.

"I'll play for you, Imori." Yugi whispered to him. Imori looked to him before nodding and gave him his coin. Jou and Honda, realizing that Yugi was gone, watched from the stairs, seeing a game was being played and had a feeling that the two older students would try and cheat somehow.

Yugi threw the coin and it landed in the pot sharply. The two students watched, eyes wide, as the coin landed perfectly. "This can't be right. No one could be that skilled to have that coin land in the pot from way up here without looking. You must've cheated somehow." One of the students said.

Jou walked up and glared at him. "Yugi won fair and square. You as well as the rest of us watched him and he never looked down to where the pot was." Jou growled. Knowing they were foiled in their plans for money, only grumbled as they left.

Imori looked to Yugi before smiling. "Thanks for your help." he said softly. "It was no problem. Sometimes I hate people like that. Always picking on those who could be inexperienced at something." Yugi replied. Imori smiled lightly before he waved to him as he continued on to his class. _'One day, I wish I could be like him.'_ he thought.

They walked back downstairs and started making their way to their class. "That was great, Yugi. You are a real game master. But as for Imori, I say you shouldn't become friends with him. That kid always looked gloomy every time I see him." Jou murmured, Honda nodding in agreement.

0

As the day went by and past lunch, Yugi was in the class he shared with Imori. While the teacher wasn't watching, Imori sent a note to Yugi that thanked him again for his help and considering him a friend. That made Yugi smiled, despite what Jou told him earlier, and feeling his happiness, Yami appeared from the puzzle as a spirit beside him.

/What makes you so happy, aibou?/ he asked. "Oh, I just made another friend. He sits over there." Yugi whispered as he pointed over to Imori. Yami looked over as well and he felt a great power surrounding the boy. _'There's something wrong about him. A great power surrounds him. Something evil that could mean the destruction of the world.'_ he thought before he smiled and nodded.

/He seems to be nice. I can see he will become a great friend to you as well as Jou and Honda's./ Yami said and Yugi thanked him before Yami went back into the puzzle.

0

After school, Imori met up with Yugi before he left. Yugi turned to him when he heard him call his name and waved to him. "Hey, Imori, is there something you need?" Yugi asked. "Yeah, I just wanted to thank you again for helping me today and becoming a friend. You're the only friend I have and since you are my first friend, I want to show you my secret base. Why don't you come over to my house today so you can see it?" he questioned.

Yugi was tempted but remembering what his friends said gave him a different thought. _'What could be the harm in it? I did say I was his friend and I don't want to disappoint him.'_Yugi thought before nodding.

"Sure, I'll come." he said with a smile and Imori smiled as well._'Hopefully Jou and Honda will understand that I went with him today.'_ he thought as he followed Imori out of school grounds and towards his home.

0

Once they got there, Imori led Yugi downstairs into his secret basement of his house, showing him all the different games he had. Yugi realized that most were unilateral games. _'He must've really been alone. He sounds almost like me when I never had any friends.'_Yugi thought as they examined some of the games.

"So, do you like my secret place?" Imori asked. "Yes, I like it here." Yugi replied and Imori smiled. "Thanks. I have one more thing I want to show you." Imori said as he led Yugi over to a mysterious gate with engravings of a creature.

"They said that behind this door is a game but I never figured how to get the door open." Imori told him and he nodded before they both started to try and push the door open but it wouldn't budge. Yugi then heard Yami hiss lightly, like he was in pain and asked if something was wrong secretly.

/No, nothing's wrong. We feel a great power emanating from behind that gate and the puzzle is reacting to whatever is behind it./ Yami murmured and he nodded discreetly before looking up and saw a puzzle of some sort on the door dealing with the images.

"Hey, I think I might know how to open the door." Yugi said as he started to arrange the pictures before the image became one of a dragon and the door slid open by itself. "Wow, how did you know?" Imori asked.

"I looked back at the images and found it looked like some sort of puzzle and I'm good at them." Yugi replied before they entered and saw a sealed jar resting on a pedestal. "I wonder what this could be." Imori whispered to himself as he picked up the jar and felt a surge of power rush through him.

/Gain the power of the demonic shadows. Gain them and rule the world. You'll never be alone then./ A voice cooed in his mind. _'I would never be alone.'_ he thought quietly before he heard Yugi calling to him a few times and looked to him. "I'm sorry, what did you say?" he asked.

"I was saying that whatever this could be is possibly some sort of game. Let's take it to my grandfather and he'll probably tell us something about it." Yugi suggested and Imori nodded as they both left out of the basement and headed over towards Yugi's home.

0

Imori was in awe when they came upon the game shop. "You live in a game shop?" Imori asked and Yugi nodded shyly. "Yeah, we live behind the main game shop." He said as they walked inside and saw Yugi's grandfather standing at the counter.

He looked up and smiled. "Ah, nice to see you home, Yugi. And who's your new friend?" he asked. "He's Imori. I met him today at school. He took me over to his house for a while and we found this in his basement." Yugi said and Imori showed the elder Motou the game.

"Ah, this is an ancient Chinese game called Dragon Cards. It is a forbidden game that uses the belief of black and white elements brought together can bring powerful forces that could result in destruction. The dragons cards are called Yin-shadow while the seal surrounding the cards are called Yang-light, creating the balance.

"But if the seal was to ever be broken, Yin and Yang would clash and create an unimaginable power that could destroy the world as we know it. Like the Sennen Puzzle, this power is ancient so all knowledge could be lost about its true power so promise me Imori, never break this seal." Sugoroku explained.

Imori nodded and since it was getting late, Imori headed home. /Imori, break the seal, break the seal of the dragon cards and free the shadows. Take the demonic shadows from the boy and gain control of the world./ The voice spoke again and Imori listened in this time. "But why? Breaking the seal is dangerous." Imori whispered as he entered his house and went upstairs to his room.

/But you are alone and you have been for the longest time. What makes you think the boy will stay as your friend when he has others? He holds the power of the demonic shadows and the demonic shadows are his friends as well and he could get whatever he wanted.

/With those powers combined with the powers of the dragon cards, you can have all the friends you want./ The disembodied voice spoke again. _'I could have all the friends I want.'_he thought, looking down to the game that held destructive powers.

/Yes, every single person in the world can be your friend, Imori. Just free the dragon cards and gain the power of the demonic shadows by taking the puzzle./ The voice continued once more and Imori finally succumbed, taking the thread and unraveling it, bringing light and darkness together in a way that shouldn't have been done.

With its seal broken, a supernatural event happen that no one was aware of.

0

Yugi walked to school the next day, wondering where Jou and Honda were. "Hopefully they're already at school. I hope I didn't worry them by not meeting them after school yesterday." Yugi murmured to himself. Yami appeared beside him fully and walked with him to school. "Don't worry, aibou. I'm sure they will understand once you tell them where you went to yesterday." Yami said and Yugi nodded.

They entered the school gates and Yami stayed by his side up until they found Jou and Honda. He leaned down and placed a chaste kiss upon Yugi's cheek, making the boy flush, especially with the fact that they were present in front of his friends, before Yami left back inside of the puzzle.

Yugi looked to the two and saw them with an odd look on their faces. "What's wrong?" he asked. "We heard some students gossiping about the two boys you played that game against yesterday. They were said to be in the hospital by unknown reasons." Jou said.

"Yeah, and another said that a trip they were supposed to be going on had to be canceled because of something happening to the island. They said that they heard it disappeared mysteriously." Honda said before giving a look to Jou. "And I think it was your little wish to reset the world that caused it."

"No! That wasn't me! How could one wish like that actually cause it?" Jou countered. "You two, let's not argue about it. Maybe Yami and Aqua can figure this out." Yugi said and they nodded as they headed into school before class started. As they were heading to their class, Imori came around the corner and smiled over at Yugi.

"Hey, Yugi. I was just looking for you."

"What do you need, Imori?" Yugi asked, Jou watching Imori intently.

"I forgot to finish up my homework for our class. Is it ok if I can borrow yours to copy?" he asked.

"Um, I don't know..." Yugi started before Jou stepped up. "No, he won't let you borrow his homework." Jou said. "But he's my friend and friends should share things between one another. Right, Yugi?" he questioned and Yugi was about to nod before Jou spoke up again.

"That's not friendship, only selfishness. Come on, Yugi, we need to get to class." Jou spoke. "But, Imori..." he started. "No, he doesn't know true friendship." Honda said and Jou nodded in agreement. "Yugi, who are you going to listen to, your friends or me?" he questioned once more.

"I don't know..." he whispered. Imori's eyes narrowed. "So, you don't want to be my friend after all? Fine then, I understand clearly. You're nothing but a traitor. " Imori hissed before walking off. Yugi frowned and looked down. _'I didn't want to disappoint him like that.'_ he thought before he heard Jou call to him and he followed them towards his class.

/Yugi, don't worry about him. There's something wrong anyway. He's dangerous and I think it might be possible to watch out for him now. Those disturbances weren't mere natural occurrences and after what we saw, he might have something to do with it./ Yami said and Yugi nodded.

"Alright." he said softly.

0

During gym class, Yugi placed the puzzle into his locker since they were going swimming and Yami and Aqua took the time while he was in class to sleep, letting all protective spells on the puzzle down, knowing they will be well protected inside of his locker. But they were wrong for once Yugi left, a figure appeared and unlocked Yugi's locker using the combination they saw and took the puzzle, leaving a note behind.

When Yugi and the others came out from the pool, Yugi unlocked his locker, ready to get dressed but gasped when he saw his puzzle was gone and the note in its place. "Who could've done this?" he questioned, looking over the note.

_If you want the puzzle back, come by yourself to room C. Don't tell no one about this or the puzzle is mine._

- _Messenger of Darkness_

Yugi was determined to get the puzzle back and got dressed quickly, telling Jou and Honda he will meet up with them later before heading towards the room where the puzzle was being held.

0

Yami growled within the confines of the puzzle, unable to break free because of the two powers of shadows clashing with one another. /You will pay for this, child. Yugi will win against you and your soul will be taken./ Yami growled.

Aqua roared in anger and Imori laughed. He wore the puzzle around his neck like a prize, listening to the tormenting cries of the inhabitants. Before him sat the unsealed Dragon Cards. "You can't escape and once Yugi comes here and loses to me in Dragon Cards, his souls will be offered and I'll become the new master of the shadows." Imori said.

_'And I'll soon have all the friends I want.'_ he thought. Yami growled in warning. /He will never lose to someone like you. Your selfishness will put many people in danger and besides, what makes you think we'll listen to you? We only listen to the one who has freed us first and it wasn't you./

"We'll see about that." Imori said as he heard the door slide opened and smiled darkly. "I've been waiting for you, Yugi." he whispered. Yugi gasped lightly. "Imori! What are you doing with the puzzle?!" he cried.

"Why, to get acquainted more with my new dark sides." he said. /Yugi! You must go against him! We can't do a thing since the puzzle isn't being wielded by a person of light so our powers and the powers of the Dragon Cards are clashing, keeping us from leaving!/ Aqua cried.

"I will." he told them before he heard a pained roar come from them both and all went silent. "Yami! Aqua!" Yugi called but didn't get a response. Imori tsked and Yugi looked to him. "What did you do?!" he questioned angrily.

"Only shut them up. I have control over the Dragon Cards and their powers follow my every command." Imori spoke, looking to him. "And now, since I have you right where I wanted, I challenge you to a game of Dragon Cards." he continued, pointing to the urn. "And since a game was initiated and the Dragon Cards are released, the only way to seal them back is by offering a soul to the soul-eating urn to calm the wrath of the cards." he continued.

"And you can't escape them, Yugi." Yugi glared at Imori.

"Now, let me explain the rules. First, you place the deck in the center of the table and according to Feng Shui, chi, or Dragon's Breath, develops in the mountain and down to earth so the cards act as the mountain and the table the earth.

"Now, the deck has power flowing around it which is the five elements of evil held in balance; Fire, Wood, Metal, Water and Earth. Each of the five elements has a level and a dragon the represents it. Now, we draw six cards to start the game." Imori explained. They did so and Yugi examined the cards he had.

_'I have to believe in myself. Thanks to him, Yami and Aqua can't help or support me.'_ Yugi thought. Imori smirked as he watched him._'I studied this game thoroughly. I know every single strategy that could counter yours. Without your two shadows, you're helpless.'_ Imori thought as he looked at his hand and grinned at the possibilities.

"I'll go first." he said and drew a card, grinning even more. _'A level 4 water dragon. That makes two in my hand and if I can draw one more, I can create a Shui Long - a strong Water Dragon.'_ he thought. "Now, I discard this," he said, discarding a level 1 metal dragon. "And I'm done." he said.

_'Just watch his features. You can always tell an opponent's hand from the cards they discard.'_ he thought as Yugi picked up a card. _'Hmm, this may help.'_ he thought, picking up a level 5 fire dragon. He discarded a card and it was now Imori's turn. He smirked._'I know what element he's collecting.'_ he thought as he picked up another card.

_'The object of the game is to collect elements that will overpower your opponent's. Fire beats Metal, Metal beats Wood, Wood beats Earth, Earth beats Water and Water beats Fire. Not only does one defeat another, they give strength to one another. Wood give power to Fire, Fire to Earth, Earth to Metal, Metal to Water and Water to Wood!'_ he thought as Yugi drew another card. "Okay! I have two dragons!" he said. "Summon Dragons!"

"I too have two dragons! Summon Dragons!" Imori called as they placed their cards down on the field. Soon, wisps of smoke drifted around them from the urn and Yugi gasped as the four dragons appeared on the side of the field that they were summoned on.

Imori had two Water Dragons, one level 3 and the other level 4. Yugi had a level 5 Fire Dragon and a level 4 Metal Dragon. Imori laughed with glee. "Bad move, Yugi! I have two Water Dragons, level 3 and 4! But your dragons are of fire and metal elements!" Imori gloated.

Yugi gasped, realizing his mistake. _'Oh no! Not only did I put out the wrong element, my Jin Long - a Metal Dragon, gives power to his Water Dragons and even thought my Huo Long - a Fire Dragon, is at level 5, he is weak compared to them!'_ Yugi thought fearfully.

"Now! It's time for you to die!" Imori called as he sent his two Water Dragons to attack. "Go! Flood Attack!" he shouted and the two Water Dragons unleashed a giant flood of water upon Yugi's two dragons, their power increased by his Jin Long.

"Hah! My two Shui Longs - two Water Dragons - washed away all your dragons!" he said with maniacal glee. _'I...I lost. I'm so sorry, Yami and Aqua.'_ he thought. Imori laughed once more as he glanced to him. "And now, Yugi, you know what will happen next. A penalty game! You have to give the dragons your soul!" he said.

Yugi gasped and looked up to the Water Dragons which looked back at him. One snarled before reaching out, stabbing its claw straight into his chest and pulled out his soul of pure light. Once it had a grip on his soul, the Water Dragon along with the other was being sucked back into the urn.

"Yes. Yes! Finally, I have control of the most deadly of shadows and have ultimate power!" Imori said with another laugh. Yugi slumped over, his eyes dimmed without the presence of a soul but his hand was able to land on the puzzle.

Imori continued to laugh until he felt extra weight and saw Yugi was able to get a hand on the puzzle. "No!" he cried, feeling the power of the dragons that was once on the puzzle leaving.

The puzzle, feeling Yugi's light energy, free Yami and Aqua from the other shadows' power and came out from the puzzle. Aqua snarled in anger before looking down to Yugi. "Yugi!" he cried, bringing him out of the chair and looked into his eyes, seeing them devoid of the spark of life they always held.

He growled lowly before turning his gaze upon Imori. "What did you do to him?" he hissed. "I played a game of Dragon Cards with him. He lost and his soul now belongs to the dragons." Imori said with no emotion.

Yami hissed, looking back to Yugi and caressed his cheek lightly before telling Aqua to keep an eye on him. He nodded and sat down, holding Yugi close. Yami sat down in his seat and glared at the overpowered teen in front of him. "Alright, this time I'm going against you! For Yugi's soul back!" he snarled. "I'll stake my soul if I am to lose." he continued and Imori smiled. "Ok by me."

Yami sighed in relief mentally, knowing if Yugi didn't grab hold of the puzzle, not only will they still be sealed away by the dragons' power but with the power giving to Imori by the dragons would've forced them to follow his every command even if he wasn't one to have completed the puzzle.

_'So…they share a mind. I should've known. From what I read about Egyptian mythology that talked about the puzzle, the demonic spirits, after acquiring a form of their own, will protect their master to the death.'_ he thought.

_'I could've become their master and control darkness and death but Yugi had to grab the puzzle before I could be bestowed with the power! He will pay for this worse than before now that the dragons have his soul!'_ he thought with glee before glancing over at Yami.

"I guess I can't become the master of darkness and death until I defeat you both...then one more game it shall be!" he said as he took the cards used in the previous duel and shuffled them back into the deck.

Yami looked over to the soul urn, worried about what could be happening with Yugi's soul. _'Will I even get him back if I win?'_ he thought, worried about the consequences that he doesn't get Yugi's soul back.

"Don't worry yourself. I know you're worried about poor Yugi's soul. You don't have to worry about him! This urn takes three months to digest a soul and if you manage to win against me, you'll get him back in exchange for my soul." Imori said and Yami nodded. "Alright then, let's get this over with."

They both drew their cards and Yami examined his. He had a level 4 Earth Dragon, a level 5 Wood, level 5 Metal, level 2 Fire, level 1 Wood and level 2 Water.

Imori had two level 5 Waters, two level 4 Waters, a level 4 Fire and a level 5 Wood.

The duel went on for a short while, none getting a potential set. Yami drew a card and discarded a level 2 Earth without speaking. Imori smirked and drew his card before grinning. He now had a pair of level 4 Fires, level 5 Waters and level 5 Woods. All he needed was one of them and he could defeat Yami.

He took his turn and saw Imori's grin. He knew that he had something planned before looking to his own hand. _'Only one potential set. It may take time to complete my hand.'_ he thought as he discarded a level 4 Fire from his hand and gave the turn to Imori. Imori looked to the discard pile and saw how big it was getting.

_'It has enlarged greatly but too bad for Yugi's other self, I know his strategy and I know what elements he's trying to collect. A level 4 Earth Dragon and a Level 5 Metal Dragon. But that won't be enough cause my Water Dragon and Wood Dragon will defeat them both.'_he thought as he drew and would've smiled when he saw he drew a level 5 Water Dragon.

_'Now I got the first set completed. All I need is a level 5 Wood and he's going down!'_ he thought. Yami took his turn and was glad to see the level 4 Earth Dragon. "Now, I'll discard this." he said, discarding a level 5 Wood but didn't see the mistake in it.

"Ha ha! And I'll take that!" Imori claimed and Yami gasped. "How?" he questioned. "In this game, you can take cards that your opponent discards and you should learn, discarding high level cards towards the end is dangerous!" Imori explained.

"Now, I summon two dragons!" he said, placing his level 5 Water Dragon and level 5 Wood Dragon onto the field. Yami growled in anger. _'Great, since he sent out his dragons first, they'll continue to get stronger the longer it takes me to complete a set.'_ he thought. Aqua watched the battle silently, hearing his dragon kin crying out for help from the power that has consumed them.

/We never wanted this./ One spoke.

/Cruel people use us only for destruction./ Another added.

/We want happiness and freedom./

The voice of the dragons continue to bombard him and he knew that he would have to figure a way to free the dragons instead of letting them suffer more years sealed away to be used in a game of death such as this.

Yami drew his card and it was the last level 5 Metal Dragon he needed. "Great! My second set is done! Summon Dragons!" he said and the two dragons appeared on his side of the field. "I summoned a level 5 Water Dragon and level 5 Wood Dragon! Behold, Shui Long and Mu Long!" Imori called.

"And I summoned a level 4 Earth Dragon and level 5 Metal Dragon! Tu Long and Jin Long!" Yami said.

"Dragon battle! Jiao Long Fu!" They both called and the dragons went into battle. "I can't believe you made the same mistake Yugi did in his duel! My Shui Long drowned his Metal Dragon in an instant! Now go! Destroy the Jin Long with your flood!" Imori said.

Yami smirked and snickered. "Think again, Imori." Yami said. "Go Tu Long! Ground Shatter!" he commanded and the dragon roared to life, smashing the ground with its feet and shifting the earth, controlling the dragon's breath that is like the chi gathered upon the mountain.

Yami smirked once more, closing his eyes in contentment before looking back to Imori. "You say you know the game well. Then you should've known that Earth give power to Metal and Metal is protected by the Earth. So my Earth Dragon creates a dam and blocks your deluge!" Yami said and Imori growled.

_'You may have figured out the game but you still won't be able to defeat me.'_ Imori thought as he grinned. "So, you blocked my Shui Long's attack. Very impressive but not good enough! Now go, Mu Long!" Imori said and Yami saw that the dragon was getting bigger.

"Where is it getting all that power!" Yami demanded. "Why, from the Shui Long. Just like a sapling of a tree, it needs water to grow into a big, strong tree and my Mu Long is doing the same!" Imori said. Yami gasped and Imori smirked.

"Now Mu Long, go after his Tu Long!" he commanded and the dragon let loose a mighty roar before attacking. The Earth Dragon growled as the shoots wrapped around it, leaving it immobilized. Soon, the shoots started sucking its power right out of it. Imori laughed in dry humor.

"Trees need sustenance from the earth which is exactly what my dragon is doing. Soon, it'll be nothing but a dried up husk but for now, since it's immobilized, it leaves my Shui Long free to attack your Jin Long!" Imori said as the dragon went towards the unprotected Jin Long. It seemed that it took the attack head on and Imori once again laughed in triumph.

"Now, your Jin Long is dead and so are you!" he said. But then he saw something was wrong. _'No! I forgot! My Shui Long is weakened because it gave its power to the Mu Long!'_ Imori thought. But he then grinned.

_'But no matter, his Jin Long is still rusting.'_ The Jin Long roared in agony, wobbling on his now rusted and slowly cracking legs. "I know you can do this, Jin Long, give me the last of your strength!" Yami called and the Jin Long roared once more as he stood up the best it could. Soon, it jumped up into the air, using his axe wings to fly.

"No! Impossible! It used its axe wings and took flight!" Imori cried in surprise.

"Go, Jin Long! Attack the Mu Long!" he called and the dragon roared once more as it flew towards the Mu Long. "No...NO! If Metal hits Wood, it's going to...I can't lose with ultimate power so close. Go, Shui Long! Flood Attack!" Imori commanded.

The Shui Long let loose his flood once more but it was already too late. "Now, Axe Wing Slash!" Yami said and the Jin Long sliced the Mu Long into many pieces, freeing the Tu Long from its grip. But after the deed, the flood hits and it sunk, rusting and soon becoming nothing.

Yami lowered his head in retrospect to the Jin Long. _'You gave your life and last bit of strength to save your comrade. I thank you for your help.'_ he thought before looking to Imori. "Your Mu Long and been defeated and my Tu Long is free! Now Tu Long, go! Ground Shatter!" Yami hissed and the dragon roared as it slammed the ground beneath it, sending shockwaves towards the Shui Long.

The Shui Long screeched as it started to sink into the fissures in the ground. "No! My Shui Long!" Imori cried. _'The earth element dams all flows of water and absorbs the negative energy.'_ he thought in fear as he watched his dragon disappear.

_'I...I lost. I lost everything.'_

"Now, you must pay the penalty." Yami said. "Normally, I would've devoured your flesh and soul but since I need to get Yugi's back, you're safe from one fate of the yami no game. Your soul will be used to feed 25 ravenous dragons instead!" he snarled.

Imori's eyes widened as every dragon came from their cards, glaring down at him with soulless expression. The Shui Long that he had controlled roared and plunged its claws into his chest, taking his soul and then turned to Yami.

/Sorry for everything we have caused. We will deal with him ourselves./ The dragon said. "Do not worry. We forgive you for it wasn't you who made him broke the seal but his own selfish desires intertwined with the negative powers of the Dragon Cards." Yami whispered.

"Now, you must return back from whence you came and please, return back our master's soul." The Shui Long nodded as all the dragons disappeared back into the urn with Imori's soul and gave back Yugi's. Aqua took the sphere of Yugi's light essence and returned it back to him, placing a sleeping spell over him so he wouldn't wake and saw them feasting off the boy he once called a friend.

The cards were sealed once again but Aqua's mission wasn't over yet with the cards for he still wish to free his kin from the power that binds them to the cards.

0

Later that night, Aqua carried the sealed urn with him to a secluded part of the park and connected his mind with those of the dragons, seeing as it was easy now that the power of the seal has been appeased for the next three months.

"Come to me. Follow my power and be free from the curse that those of ancient times had placed onto you." Aqua whispered and soon, a rush of wind came by him and soon all the dragons were free and standing before him. Seeing as they were finally free without causing any release of destructive powers, they thanked Aqua and soon, some left while others stayed.

/I wish to stay with you. I want to help protect your master from all causes that could harm him./ The level 5 Jin Long said, glancing down at him. /And I wish to do so as well to repay the actions that my brothers have caused when he dueled against the child./ The level 5 Shui Long said, still feeling guilty of seeing such an innocent soul be taken into the urn.

The level 4 Tu Long and Level 5 Huo Long stayed as well. Aqua nodded, picking up the sealed game once more and they soon headed back, the Huo Long turning its body into coldfire so as to not cause any unexpected fires from the brush.

0

Zypher: And that's all. This chapter was a bit mixed, taking tidbits from both the manga and anime which you may probably spot out each easily if you read both summaries for the manga and anime or have at least read the manga for the Dragon Cards.

A dragon battle of fantastic proportion and new protectors for Yugi. Thanks for reading and now I must talk about the next chapter. The next chapter and probably the one after it will be the breaking point in Yugi's feelings for Yami and Aqua, won't give away too much.

But for the next chapter, Shadi will be making an appearance (and probably Keara if I can find a section for her) but as usual, there are two different versions between the manga and anime. So choose which one you would like me to use.

Manga ver: Yugi and his friends head to the Domino Museum to look at the new Egyptian exhibit, catching Kanekura's attention with the Sennen Puzzle, wanting to make a fortune for it. Shadi, learning of this, arrived to challenge him and he lost but didn't give his soul to Ammit (this purpose will be revealed later in why I did so).

Soon after, he looked for Yugi and went into his mind, finding out that the demonic spirits were free and has already gained bodies. They challenged him to a game to try and find them through the twisted halls of the puzzle and when he was close, he almost died if Yugi didn't help him and Shadi realized that they were after this child of light.

With this knowledge in mind, he tries to seal them back by challenging them to games that meant Yugi's life on the roof of the university. During this, Jou and Honda were trying to escape the mindless Prof. Yoshimori who was out to kill them both.

Anime ver: Same as above except for the path of events occurring. Shadi gotten a hold of Zella who he found to be close friends with Yugi and used her to try and provoke Yami and Aqua to come out by controlling her to attempt life threatening dangers to Yugi and it worked since they came out in full body to look for him and stop him from harming others.

He broke control over Zella and took over Yugi's mind, having him in the same position as Anzu (who is not here but like I said before with the carnival episode, who cares) on the roof, four ushebti being his only line that could lead to his death. The challenges may be different from the manga along with Jou trying to stop a mindless Honda from killing him instead of Yoshimori.

Zypher: Once again, thanks for reading and I'll see you all soon.


	12. Shadi's Challenge

Zypher: Just loving the reviews as always. Thanks for them all and here's the next chapter for you.

0

Yami no Game: Death Awakening

Chapter 12

0

It was two months after the mishap with Imori and the Dragon Cards but everything was alright now. Yugi smiled as he rode on the Tu Long's back to school, being introduced to the dragons when Aqua came back after ridding the game to somewhere where it couldn't be found.

/We are here, Yugi-kun./ the dragon spoke and he nodded. He knelt down and Yugi climbed off of his back. "Are you going to head back home now?" he asked. /Yes but I shall be here after school to pick you and your friends up if you wish to spend time with them./ Tu Long spoke and Yugi nodded.

"Alright, see you then." Yugi said and Tu Long nodded before leaving. Yugi entered the school courtyard and met up with his friends, also seeing Zella there as well. "Hey Yugi, look at this." Jou said, holding a newspaper out to him. Yugi took the paper and looked at it.

"Hey, there's an Ancient Egypt exhibit opening up." he said in awe. /Maybe we should see about going. Its sounds interesting./ Yami suggested and he nodded mentally. "Would you guys like to come with me, Yami and Aqua? Yami says it may be interesting to go there." Yugi questioned, looking to them.

"Sure, why not." Zella answered before turning to Jou and Honda who nodded as well. "Alright then, to the museum after school it is." he said with a smile before they all headed inside for class.

0

At the airport, a man was walking off the plane and through the airport. In his hands was a golden scale with an eye on the top. He was making his way towards the museum, the reason unknown to others but himself.

0

After school ended, Yugi met up with the others at the door of the school. "Ready to go?" Yugi asked and they nodded. "Ok then. We'll wait for Tu Long and he'll take us there." Soon, they heard him coming and once he was there, his friends awed by the sight, they climbed onto his back and he was off towards the museum.

0

Once they got there, the saw Yugi's grandfather standing outside. They hopped off Tu Long's back and walked over to him. "Jii-chan, what are you doing here?" Yugi asked. "My friend, Prof. Yoshimori, said he was coming to meet me here. Let's wait a bit longer and you can all meet him as well." Sugoroku said and they nodded, standing with him and talking with one another until they heard someone call Sugoroku's name. Prof. Yoshimori ran over to them and stopped, catching his breath before smiling.

"It's been a while, Sugoroku! It's good to see you again." he greeted. "It's good to see you as well, old friend." Sugoroku replied. He then looked to Yugi and his friends. "Yugi, everyone, this is my friend, Prof. Yoshimori." he said. "Wow! You're the guy that found the pharaoh's tomb!" Jou exclaimed.

"Yes I am." Yoshimori spoke. Soon another, more robust, man came over to them. "And who's this?" Zella asked. "This is Prof. Kanekura, curator of the museum and provided the grant for the excavation. He's sponsoring the exhibit." Yoshimori said.

"Welcome to my museum!" he said happily and they greeted him as well. Yami watched him with a sharp eye, having a feeling that this man was up to more than he let on. Kanekura walked over to Yoshimori and whispered something into his ear and he nodded. He turned to Sugoroku as Kanekura stood by his side.

"Sugoroku, you told me that your grandson completed the Sennen Puzzle, right?" Yoshimori asked. Yugi gasped and looked to Yami and Aqua. _'Do they know? What if they make jii-chan remember something about the curse and try to blame Yami and Aqua because of their mysterious arrival.'_ he thought.

"Yes he has." Sugoroku said, waving Yugi over. He walked over quietly, still worried that they may mention something that will put Yami and Aqua in danger. Kanekura smiled with glee as he took hold of the puzzle, never getting a reaction out of it compared to others who would dare touch it without Yugi's consent. _'No reason to make the situation worse for aibou. He's already worried about one of them telling his grandfather about the curse which we deliberately made him forget.'_ Yami thought.

"This is wonderful! Such an important piece of pharonic history and it hangs around your neck!" he said, eyes shining. He then turned to Yugi, still holding the puzzle. "Yugi, I beg of you! People must see this wonderful artifact! Let me display it at the show!" Kanekura begged.

"I don't know..." Yugi murmured. /Yugi-dono, you shouldn't. There's something off about this Kanekura person./ Aqua whispered through the link. /I know but I want to at least make him happy. I'll make sure nothing happens to the puzzle./ Yugi told them and they nodded mentally.

"Well, I'll let you borrow it but only for one day." Yugi said and Kanekura nodded. "Oh sure! One day is plenty!" he agreed before walking off with a smirk on his face. _'Yes, one day is __good__ enough.'_ he thought.

0

After that chat at the front of the museum, they all headed in, looking at the Egyptian exhibit with interest. Yami and Aqua learned a lot from the things the archaeologists gathered and was glad there wasn't much about the demonic spirits. Yami walked over to a tablet that showed the ceremony for the afterlife. Yami came up beside him and looked as well.

"This is the ceremony of the afterlife." Yami spoke and Yugi looked up to him. "What's that?" he asked, curious. "The ceremony of the afterlife is a ceremony where your heart is weighed on a scale by a feather. If you are filled with sin, your heart will drop and if it's heavier than the feather, your soul is fed to Ammit." Yami explained.

Yugi nodded as he backed away from the tablet to follow his friends. As he walked with them, he saw an Egyptian man standing in front of a mummy that was in a glass case. He waked over to him quietly and saw he was crying. "Why are you crying, sir?" he asked softly.

The man looked down to his quietly before speaking. "These tears are not mine. These tears belong to him, this shriveled form that was once a man. A Pharaoh. Even in his eternal sleep, the cries of his soul become tears and they flow through me, coming down my cheeks." The man told him.

Yugi looked to him and then to the mummy. Soon, he saw the scales in his hands but didn't get a chance to get a good look at them before the man walked away.

0

At the display where Yugi's Sennen Puzzle was displayed, Kanekura was talking with another man. "This relic is worth a lot of money and if you're willing to have it, I'm sure we can negotiate about it." Kanekura said. "I'm sure we can. I'll meet you in your office later." The man replied before walking off.

_'Soon, I'll be rich and it's all thanks to that kid.'_ he thought before he spotted them coming his way. Yugi ran over to the display where the puzzle hung and smiled widely. "It's looks so cool there! Like it should belong here in the museum." Jou said as they walked over.

"Yeah but Yami and Aqua probably wouldn't want that. The puzzle is special to them and trusts me to keep it safe." Yugi said. "Why don't we get a picture of us with the puzzle in display?" Zella suggested and they nodded. Sugoroku smiled as he watched them gathered in front of the display, grinning widely as their picture was taken by him.

From afar, Kanekura watched. "That puzzle will make me a bundle but of course, I might have to share some of my fortune to Yugi to keep his mouth shut so he won't be whining about it being gone." he muttered to himself before heading back to his office to wait for the buyer.

Yami watched the man and growled before he decided it may be best to go back into the puzzle. Aqua watched him go and followed, no one asking Yugi about where they went, mostly speculating they wandered off to see other exhibits.

0

As it was getting close to closing time, they all left out happy. "Oh I wish I could go to Egypt one day." Zella said in awe once they were done with examining the exhibit. Sugoroku turned to Yoshimori with a smile. "Thank you, Yoshimori, for inviting us to the show."

"My pleasure! If you ever want to see more, just come by the lab at the university." he said before he started walking off. "But for now, I must be getting back there myself so I'll see you all soon." He waved to them and they returned the gesture.

"So, what are we going to do now?" Jou questioned. "Well, I have to get back to tend to the shop." Sugoroku spoke. "And I'm going to wait here for Prof. Kanekura to bring me the puzzle." Yugi quipped. "Alright then, guess we'll head home too. See you in school tomorrow, Yugi!" Honda called as they walked off.

"See you guys later!" Yugi called before he went to sit on the steps of the museum.

0

Inside, Kanekura looked at the puzzle with greed, eagerly waiting for the buyer to come. "My investment funded this little expedition and soon, this puzzle will make me more." he whispered. The man he talked with earlier came up to the door and knocked, unaware of whom was behind him.

"Kanekura-san..." he started but was soon knocked out by the other but Kanekura never heard. "Ah, there he is now! Come in!" he called and the door opened, revealing someone else. "Who are you? You're not the one I wanted to see!" he hissed.

The man didn't say anything, only stared at him before speaking. "My bloodline has guarded the tombs for three thousand years. I am a servant of Anubis himself." The man spoke and Kanekura gasped. "A-A-Anubis! The Egyptian god of Death?!" he cried.

"Yes. Because of your greed, you have defiled another tomb within the Valley of the Kings. You have trespassed into the territory of the gods and for that, you will be trialed." the man said once more.

Kanekura was stunned but then realized something. "Oh! You must be from the Egyptian government! I promise you, I don't sell antiques on the black market!" he said, hoping that will make him leave. But he didn't, only stepped forward towards his desk and placed the scales he held on it.

"You know the scene of the final judgment from the 125th chapter of what you people call the Book of the Dead. These are the Scales of Truth." he said once more and Kanekura gasped, remembering the myth easily.

_'But this has to be a joke. This can't be true. All of this isn't true!'_ he thought but saw the man wasn't fooling around. "We will now begin the game, a yami no game." The man whispered. _'A game?!'_ he thought frantically. The man pulled a feather from his turban and held it in front of Kanekura's face.

"On this side of the scale I place the feather of Ma'at. As you can see, the scales are now balanced. I now will ask you several questions. If you don't tell the truth, the scales will tip with the weight of your crimes. If your side of the scales ever touches the ground, the penalty of death awaits," he said and Kanekura gasped once more, seeing that everything this man saying sounded like it will truly happen.

"Now here is your first question. A young girl falls into a deep well. You are the only one to see it happen. However at your feet lies her gold ring that could fetch a pretty penny at a pawn shop. What would you do?" he asked. "I would save her! I would save the little girl!" he cried but saw the scales tip. "But-but I'm telling the truth!" he said. "Next question." The man spoke and Kanekura gulped in fear.

0

Back outside, Yugi looked to his watch, seeing it was getting close to five and Kanekura hasn't arrived to give him the puzzle. "Maybe there are still some people looking at it. Better go ahead and get it myself before I worry Yami and Aqua more since they probably went back inside while we were there." he said as he got up and headed back into the museum.

0

Kanekura watched as the scales tipped again. "I'm not lying!" he cried. "How is that plate sinking if nothing is weighing it down?!" he questioned loudly. "What is a penalty game anyway?!"

"Very well...since you want to know so much. I'll tell you about the penalty game. It awaits within the puzzle." he whispered and Kanekura looked to the puzzle fearfully. Dark shadows engulfed it and soon the entire room. Glowing crimson and cerise eyes glared at him as they revealed it to be Yami and Aqua although it was nothing but an illusion.

They growled as they walked to either side of him, fangs gleaming hungrily. Each took a hold of his arms and he shivered in fear. "These are the demonic spirits that rests within the puzzle. As I can see, it has been solved so they have been released. That will not do for they should have never been released in the first place but since they are, I will tell you the history of them.

"Since they have been released, they hunger for souls and flesh to bring forth a body for themselves and they issue yami no games such as I have with you and if you lose, they will take payment with your vitality. They are ravenous beasts and only the one who completed the puzzle can tame them.

"But you dare try to sell this artifact and that will make them angry and they will come after you." he explained and Kanekura gulped as he looked to them. "Last question, did you defiled the territory of the gods and sold their treasures to fatten your pockets?" he asked.

"Stop! Please stop! I'll give you anything! Name how much and it's yours!" Kanekura cried, begging as a last resort. The scales tipped and the plate where his heart lied hit the table. "Your soul holds no truth. There is nothing but greed. Therefore you will have to pay the punishment." he said and Yami hissed as he held his claws by his mouth.

Kanekura screamed as he saw his soul being pulled away from him and soon his eyes went dull and he slumped in his seat. The two illusions disappeared with his soul and the man picked up the puzzle.

"You soul was decayed with money and greed and beasts such as them live to feast on it. Once they find out truly, they will come back to feast on your flesh." He murmured before he left out, looking down to the puzzle. _'But I want to know, who would complete the after three thousand years when it was supposed to be sealed away in Egypt...'_

0

Yugi sighed as he walked through the museum still. "Geez! This museum is like a maze!" he groaned in frustration. "The puzzle wasn't in the display case so Kanekura-san must have it. I hope Yami and Aqua don't worry about where I am." he hummed and then saw the odd man he saw earlier walking towards him.

_'I wonder but he probably doesn't know where he is. But I should just ask in case.'_ Yugi thought as he walked over to him. He stopped and looked down to him. "Excuse me, did you happen to see Kanekura-san? He promised to return my puzzle. It's shaped like an upside-down pyramid." he said and the man gasped lightly.

_'Impossible! Not this boy!'_ he thought. _'If he solved the puzzle them he would've been granted the powers of death itself and that dangerous for any mere human. I have to make sure!'_ He pulled out an item from the folds of his clothing.

_'I'll use the Sennen Ankh to look into the room of his soul.'_ The man concentrated with the power of the ankh and soon, he was inside the mental hallway that separated Yugi's soul room from Yami and Aqua's.

He gasped as he looked at both rooms. _'This boy has two soul rooms!'_ he thought as he walked up to them and looked into the open door. "This one is filled with toys and games. No hints of darkness or signs of death." he whispered before turning to the other door.

He walked over and it started to open by itself as if noticing his presence. Behind the door stood Yami and Aqua in all their demonic glory. "So, a person dares enter our shared soul room? Now, do you dare to enter _our_ room? If you do, a game awaits you." Yami whispered. "Come on and enter. This is where we'll play the game." he hissed and the man wasn't about to turn down the challenge.

He walked in and they smirked. _'I have visited many soul rooms before. They may have different decoration and furnishings but it's always one room. But this child, he contains two and one is where the demonic spirits live. What is this room to him, so dark and cold...'_ he thought before looking to the two.

"We don't know what power you use to enter aibou's mind but you better start explaining why you're here." The man looked to them before laughing softly. "To you, you must think I am an unwanted guest. Answering that is the least I can do for you." he told them. "I have come here to seek the powers of the Sennen Puzzle." he said and Yami's eyes widened.

"So, you know of the existence of the puzzle do you? That must mean you know who we are, do you not?" he questioned. "Yes, and I know also that the Sennen Puzzle is one of the sacred Sennen Items. The story of the Sennen Items, especially this one has been passed down from Ancient Egypt three thousand years ago in the Valley of the Kings.

"They were made to punish thieves who would defile the territory of the gods as so stated in the pert em hru (1)." he said. "So, you came here with a Sennen Item?" Aqua questioned. "Yes, with the power of the Sennen Ankh. This ankh opens the door to one's soul room. In the room of a soul one can learn everything about that person. Who they are, who they love, what they like, what they fear even what they do not know themselves. And the other I have is the Sennen Scales. They weigh the sins of a person on trial. They are the two I possess." he said.

"But even I don't know the power of the puzzle. Only know they housed you two. I don't know what power is bestowed upon the one that completes it because it has never been solved for so many millennia." he continued. "So in order to find out, you enter aibou's soul..." Yami said.

"If I can enter a person's 'room' I can see what kind of power they possess. That is what I have come to find and if that power is what I need, I will draw it into my bloodline." he said. Aqua snorted and glared at him. "So be it. The rules of the game are simple. The power you speak of does rest within this room however we won't let you see it that easily." Aqua said.

"What do I have to do then?" The man questioned. "Somewhere in our soul is our true room. If you can find it, you'll find the power you seek." Aqua continued and the man chuckled. "Did I forget to mention my other power? When I enter the room of a person's soul, I redecorate and control that person at will. I could even destroy their personality." he spoke and their eyes widened.

"You wouldn't dare." Yami hissed, worried that he might try to threaten Yugi's personality. "Don't worry, I won't destroy his personality but I will accept your challenge. I will find the true room of your soul." he said in determination. They laughed softly and Yami glanced back at him.

"Don't think it will be easy. This is much more dangerous than you think." he said and the room lightened up to show it was a labyrinth of staircases and rooms. The man gasped as he looked around. _'There room is truly a labyrinth of the soul.'_ he thought.

"Game start." They whispered and they were soon gone, leaving him alone. He looked around once more, in awe at the many doors that covered the room. "So many doors and yet only one contains the secret of the puzzle." he said to himself. He made his way to one door and opened it. He stepped inside but quickly backed out of the room as a large stone cylinder slammed down onto the ground where he once stood. Eyes wide, he looked towards the other doors that could hold just deadly traps.

He heard laughter and looked up to see Aqua hovering overhead. "What's wrong? Do you want to give up so easily?" he questioned. "At this rate, you might get yourself in trouble and we won't help you out of it." he added before he started to fade away again. "We'll be waiting in the true room...if you can find it." he murmured before he was completely out of sight.

The man continued his trek, trying each door he came across but none contained the two spirits. _'Which door could it be? Their soul is tightly closed off to strangers and because of it, they seek to confuse me and make me quit their game. But I can't for I have to learn the secrets of the puzzle!'_ he thought as he came by one more door and opened it, sighing in relief as he found the two spirits sitting upon a bed conjured out of shadows.

He walked inside, unaware of the trap that awaited him. "If I was you, I'd watch your step." Yami hissed darkly and before he could react to his warning, the stone floor beneath him cracked and fell apart but he was able to grab onto the edge before he could fall into the abyss below.

_'If I fall into the darkness I'll be lost in this soul forever!'_ he thought frantically and soon heard footsteps coming closer. Aqua gazed down at him, a feral smirk on his lips. "Should I push you in or help you up? So many choices." he muttered, his claws gripping his hand before he heard someone call his name and he turned to see Yugi's spirit standing there.

/Aqua, don't let him fall. Please./ The spirit whispered. He growled in warning and Yugi only gazed at him still. The spirit walked over and wrapped his arms around his head, stroking his snout and that gained a purr from him before looking down to Shadi, removing his grip from his hand and lowering his tail down to him.

He looked to him warily. "Don't worry, my tail isn't a trap." he said, taking a glance at him from the corner of his eye and he nodded as he gripped it and Aqua pulled him out of the hole. "I would never imagine you to save me in such a predicament. I am in your debt." he said.

"I only saved you so you wouldn't still be here if you fell and even though it's Yugi's spirit, he doesn't want to see you die. I do not enjoy your hobby of peeking into other's souls, especially our master's. You best leave now."

"So I have lost this game of yours?" he questioned. "No, it had only begun but we won't play it in here." Yami spoke as he got up and they were soon back at the start of the game, the door behind the man and Yugi's spirit gone from their side. Said man sighed before nodding.

"Yes, you are right. For my life I will not endanger the little one from within. Farewell for now." he said and left out the room. There was a bright flash of light and the man knelt down on the ground while Yugi stared at him. "Are you alright?" he asked, hoping for a response.

_'I entered his soul to test him but it was I who was tested.'_ he thought. "Are you alright? You look so pale. For a while, you had your eyes closed and stopped moving." he said, kneeling down beside him. "I am fine now." he spoke softly as he stood then looked to Yugi. "You are a very strange child." He then pulled out the puzzle.

"Before I forget, I do believe this belongs to you." he said, holding out the puzzle to him. "Oh! Thank you!" he said happily as he took the puzzle for him and placed it back around his neck. "No need to thank me. I am already in your debt." he said.

A contented purr came from Yami as he felt Yugi's pure energy surround the puzzle once more. "Really? Debt? Did I do something for you cause I don't remember." Yugi asked. "It was the other you and his friend. The two demons that rests within you." he said.

"Yami and Aqua? How do you know about them and why do you call them demons? They're not demons." The man only sighed lightly. "Nevermind, you will find out soon. Tell me, what your name is?" he asked. "It's Yugi." he told him with a small smile.

_'Two sides exist in this boy and for some reason, he may not have realized them as their true forms.'_ He closed his eyes.

_'When he learns about that, the true power of the Sennen Puzzle will be revealed and awakened!'_ he thought. _'I must take apart the puzzle if necessary but that will be a hard task without the demons noticing themselves and this boy, Yugi, seems protective of the puzzle but he may be the key that will help me.'_ He then looked back to him.

"My name is Shadi. Whatever you do, do not try to learn more of Yami and Aqua. If you do, something dangerous will be granted to you that you may not be able to control." he whispered before leaving, having one other that he needed to put on trial.

0

Back home, Yugi looked at the puzzle, thinking about what Shadi told him. _'He told me to not learn more about Yami and Aqua or else I would be in danger. In danger of what?'_ he thought and sighed. _'What secrets could you be hiding from me?'_ he thought as he looked to the puzzle and the resting spirits inside.

"Yugi! This is terrible! Come look at this!" Sugoroku called to his grandson, coming into the room. "What's wrong?" he asked as he got out of the chair he was sitting in and followed him downstairs as Yami and Aqua appeared and followed behind him.

"The news reported that Kanekura-san, the curator of the museum, was found dead in his office. They say the cause of death was a heart attack induced by shock but the coroner said that there were some odd complications that this couldn't be called a natural death." Sugoroku explained as they show a picture of the dead museum owner.

Yami narrowed his eyes, having a feeling that this was the one called Shadi's work. _'And even I won't say there was anything wrong about his work. He dare use his greed to try and sell the puzzle. If he succeeded, the world would've been engulfed in flames if we weren't returned back to Yugi.'_ he thought.

"This is sad that this happened to someone we only met today." he continued and then looked to Yugi. "But that's not all I'm worried about. Prof. Yoshimori was also involved in that excavation. If the curse of the Pharaoh's tomb is true them he may be next." he said and Yugi gasped.

"But of course, Yoshimori is the last person to believe in curses but it must be hard on him that one of the people he worked with is dead. So I'm heading over to the university to cheer him up a bit." Sugoroku said as he got up to get ready. "Can I come too, Jii-chan?" Yugi asked and he nodded. They put their coats and shoes on and we on their way to the university. On their way there, they came across Jou, Zella and Honda.

"Hi, we just heard the news about Kanekura." Honda said. "And to think, we just met him." Zella murmured. "We decided to come over to meet with you guys and head over to the university to cheer him up. He just might know the details of this case." Jou said.

"Then shall we go together then?" Sugoroku asked. "Zella, Honda, Jounouchi, I really think you shouldn't go. I just have this feeling." Yugi spoke up, looking to them. "Don't worry about us, Yugi. We're worried about Yoshimori too since he did show us around the museum." Zella said.

"Yeah, you're right. Sorry for sounding so freaked out." Yugi mumbled.

0

At the university in the archeology lab, Yoshimori sat at his desk, mourning over the death of his friend. _'Impossible, there's no such thing as a curse.'_ he thought as he went through images of their discovery of the tomb and them the image of Kanekura's dead form.

He groaned and held a hand to his head. He heard a clatter and looked behind him. "I must be hearing things." he said before sighing. "So much has happened today. At least Motou is coming with his grandson. I never needed a friend more than now." he whispered to himself.

He was unaware that Shadi appeared behind him. He glanced down to him, the scales in his hand. _'Criminal that has defiled the Valley of the King and territory of the gods by Anubis' will I shall put you on trial. But first, I will unlock the room of your soul with the power of the Sennen Ankh. By gods will, I will find some shred of guilt in your soul.'_ Shadi thought as he entered his mind.

The first thing he sees is shelves cluttered with books about archeology and artifacts excavated from ruins. _'His heart is cluttered with his obsession with the past.'_ he thought and saw something in the corner of the room and went to pick it up.

_'And here is a picture of his family, covered in dust. Neglected because of his obsession and he chose now to regret it. But it's too late now.'_ he thought once more before looking around. _'And the darkness of the room is proof of the anxiety and fear he feels. The curator's death must be the cause of it.'_

He soon saw a spark of light beside him. "In the darkness is a glimmer of hope. I see, he is waiting for his friends that calms his heart and give him hope." he said and then concentrated. _'Who is he awaiting?'_ he wondered and soon saw forms appear and became clear, showing Mr. Motou, Yugi and his friends. _'Ah, so he comes...'_

0

"Here we are." Sugoroku said as they arrived at the university. "The lights aren't on." Zella said. They walked in and Jou shivered. "Man, I hate schools at night." he grumbled as they continued walking towards the archeology lab. "Let's put on a big smile for him. That should help cheer him up!" Jou said, losing all thoughts of being at the school at night, and they nodded.

"Yeah! Remember, don't mention the museum at all." Yugi said before they entered the room. "Hey there!" Jou said. "Prof. Yoshimori! We're here!" They all called as they came into the room. "Sorry we're late, professor." Sugoroku said.

He turned to look at them, he eyes dull but a big, creepy smile graced his face. **_"Thank you for coming!"_** he said with a scratchy voice. **_"Come in!"_** he said. "Hope we're not interrupting anything." Zella said. **_"I've been waiting for you!"_** he said, laughing softly.

"Hey, he looks pretty happy." Honda murmured. "Yeah." Yugi agreed. Yami appeared beside him and examined Yoshimori. /Yugi, I have a bad feeling about this./ Yami whispered. /Don't worry. Yoshimori is fine./ Yugi replied and Yami only nodded, still watching him.

"Prof., we brought something for you! You know, as thank for showing us around the museum!" Jou said and covered his mouth, Zella just about ready to slap him. "Jou?! You weren't supposed to mention anything about the museum!" She hissed.

"Sorry!" Jou cried. **_"Oh yes, oh yes, the museum."_** he said, laughing still. **_"Somebody killed him! Somebody killed Kanekura!"_** he wailed. With that, they all started to wonder if something was wrong. "Prof. Yoshimori, is something wrong?" Sugoroku asked.

**_"There's nothing wrong...I was just waiting...waiting for you, young Yugi."_** Yoshimori said, reaching out towards him and wrapped his hands around his neck, choking him. He gasped, struggling for breath and the others reacted, trying to pry him away from the younger teen.

"What's wrong with you?!" Jou called as he tried to pull him away. Yami roared in anger and came from the shadows, tackling both the man and his master, prying his grip from Yugi's neck and brought him close.

Yugi gripped his shirt, gasping for breath and Yami stroked his back. "Are you alright, little one?" he questioned and he nodded. "Yes, I'm fine." Yugi whispered as Yami stood up and helped him up as well.

"Sorry for my puppet's behavior." A voice spoke and Yami growled as he looked to the shadows and saw Shadi appear. "Shadi!" Yugi called in surprise and his friends looked to him. "You know this guy?!" Jou exclaimed. "Kind of. I met him at the museum when I went to get the puzzle. What do you want here?"

"To break their will down. I must seal the puzzle away before the power is released and the only way is to threaten your life or the life of your friends." Shadi said as Yoshimori got back up and went for Jou, grabbing him around his neck and they tried once again to pry his grip off. "No! Stop it!" Yugi cried.

Yami hissed. "Let him go!" he growled. "Go on, show him your true form. He deserves to know and once he learns, he'll take apart the puzzle and it will be sealed away from prying eyes." Shadi said. "No! I will never take the puzzle apart!" Yugi said.

"Then watch as your friend suffers."

_'He must've done something. He must've brainwashed Prof. Yoshimori and turned him into a killer!'_ Yugi thought. Shadi watched as they tried valiantly to free Jou.

_'I planned to leave this country as soon as I punished those that dare to defile the territory of the gods...but then I, with my own eyes, met the demonic spirits of the myth. Since that time, the feeling of defeat smolders within my heart. I can't leave this country with those embers still burning.'_ he thought.

_'I will meet them again and when I do, I will see their power with my own eyes...And to do that I will have to push them as far as possible.'_

Yami saw that nothing was working and knew he probably needed to use his own demon strength. _'I'm sorry.'_ he thought as clutching his fist tightly, he landed a hard punch to Yoshimori's chin, making him lose his grip on Jou and threw him back far enough to hit the wall. He lost a few teeth from the hit and Jou gasped for air greedily. "That was close...any longer and I would've been a goner." Jou wheezed.

"You did it, Yami! You knocked him out!" Yugi cheered. "Yes but not for long." he whispered and turned to him. "Yugi, you must leave. Shadi is aiming for you. He's trying to get to us and he knows you are the one that can break our will. Go now! Take the others with you!" Yugi nodded as he, his grandfather and his friends ran out the room.

Yoshimori got back up shakily and looked to him, laughing still. Yami hissed as he shifted into his demon form. Shadi watched the ordeal. _'Seems the professor isn't enough. I need to get the boy. I need to get Yugi.'_ Shadi thought and disappeared from room while Yami was grappling with the professor.

0

The others ran through the school before Yugi stopped them. "I have to go back, Yami might be hurt." he said. "You can't, Yugi! I don't know what they guy is up to but he's going to put us all in danger." Zella spoke. "Then split up. If the professor is running around, it's best we keep him from finding any of us. I need to go find Yami." he said as he started making his way back towards the archeology room.

Yami was still grappling Yoshimori but realized Shadi wasn't in the room. He growled and threw him through the doorway and disappeared in the shadows in hopes to find Yugi.

But it was too late for when Yugi got back to the room, Shadi appeared behind him and took control of his mind, using his Marionette Design magic and turned him into a puppet, a doll with no voice or memories.

0

Jounouchi and Sugoroku ran through a hall, loosing Honda and Zella a while back. "We should go back for Yugi! He might be in danger!" Jou exclaimed. "I'm sure Yami will protect him. We need to see if we can snap Yoshimori out of that trance!" Sugoroku replied and they soon saw him, walking shakily towards him. Sugoroku stepped up towards him.

"Yoshimori, can't you remember me? I'm your friend." he said, Yoshimori continuing to walk towards him. He stopped though when he got close and they thought he got through to him but Jou gasped when Yoshimori punched him and he crashed into a nearby bookcase. "Gramps!" he called but he was alright, just knocked out from the blow.

He looked back towards Yoshimori who was now walking towards him. _'This guy is insane! It might only be a matter of time before he finds Zella and Honda or Yami and Yugi. I need to lead him away.'_he thought and then taunted him, catching his attention and ran off, the older man following behind him.

0

Yami sniffed around, trying to find any sign of Yugi. He contacted Aqua and he was too looking for Yugi. _'If I don't hurry and find him, Shadi will capture him.'_ Yami thought with worry. "It's too late for that." A voice spoke and Yami snarled as he turned towards Shadi who held Yugi in his grip.

"No!" he roared and would've attacked if Shadi didn't raise the ankh higher. "One more step and I'll destroy his mind." he said and he stood back, claws clenching tight. "What do you want with him?" Yami hissed.

"I need him. He's the only thing that will break your will and also grant me the chance to see your power. Your strength was one but what other powers do you hold? That is what I want to know." he said. He snarled but knew he couldn't do anything with Yugi in his hands and under his control.

0

Jou continued to run through the halls, Yoshimori still on his tail. Around the next corner, Zella and Honda were running towards him. They heard him scream and stopped, seeing him run by with Yoshimori behind him.

"Oh no! How could he have gotten up from that blow Yami gave him?!" Honda exclaimed. "I don't know but we need to help him!" Zella cried as they ran behind them. She stopped and picked up a fire extinguisher, getting an idea. She used her speed as a cat to get past them and hid at the next corner.

"Jou! Get ready to duck when I tell you!" she called and he nodded. Once he got close to where she could hear him, she got ready. "Duck!" Jou did so, dropping to the floor as she came from behind the corner, spraying Yoshimori with the foam and then slamming him in the face with the butt of the extinguisher.

He fell back and she sighed. Jou sighed as well and stood back up. "Thanks for the help. I thought my legs were going to fall off if I kept running." he panted. "Where's Motou-san?" she asked. "When he found me and him, he tried to get through to him but he knocked him out before I decided to lead him away before he could hurt him more." Jou said.

Honda walked over to them, checking back to make sure he wasn't getting up. "So what are we going to do? Gramps is knocked out, Yugi's gone and who knows what happened to Yami." Honda mumbled.

"Well, we need to find Yugi and Yami. They might be harmed by whoever that guy was." Jou said and then stuttered as he saw Yoshimori getting back up. Zella wondered what was wrong with him and yowled, jumping into his arms. "How does he get back up from all these blows?!" Zella screeched, her tail fluffing up in fear.

"I don't know but I'm not sticking around to find out!" Jou shouted as he ran off with her in his arms, Honda following behind before he could get caught. Yoshimori followed behind them, more teeth missing from the latest blow to his face.

0

Yami continued to stay still, watching Shadi's every move. "These will be the words to set you off..." he started, taking one of Yugi's bangs into his hands. "If I ordered him to die, he will die." he said and that did the trick. Yami's eyes went unfocused and he stopped growled, only whimpered like a hurt puppy.

"No, don't kill him. Don't kill aibou..." he whispered. "What do you want?"

"Like I said before, to see more of your power. It is time for the second stage of our game to begin. Call the other here now." Shadi said and he nodded, calling Aqua through their private mental link.

He appeared through the shadows, ready to attack being seeing the position Yugi was in, knew he couldn't do much. "Good, now that you're both are here, we can finish our battle...in a yami no game." Shadi said. Seeing as Yami can't speak at the moment, Aqua glared at him.

"Seeing that the shoe's on the other foot, we'll accept." Aqua said. "Good idea cause you know if you don't, he will remain a doll forever." Shadi said. "Our game will begin in 10 minutes on the roof. Everything I will need is right here in this room." he said.

"When the clock strikes eight, I'll be waiting on the roof." Shadi said and they nodded before leaving out the room._'Why is he so determined to not only learn our power but take us away from Yugi? Does he think we'll abuse the powers of death we contain now that we have our bodies back or does he want to use them for his own purpose?'_Aqua thought and then looked to the puzzle.

_'It pulses quietly, knowing Yugi-dono is in danger. But either way, there's one thing I know Shadi and that is that you are our enemy now. We must win this game. Not only for our sake but for Yugi's as well.'_ he thought as the clock chimed eight and they both disappeared through the shadows and onto the roof.

When they got there, they were in for a shock. Yami snapped out of the quiet daze he was in and gasped. "Yugi!" he cried, seeing he was only standing on a board held up by four ropes tied to a pole that was by his side. Connected to four of those strings were four small statues. Another, much larger one hung above them and they were connected to the ankh.

"Time to begin our game...The Trial of the Mind." he said, gazing at them. "Yugi!" he called once more and glared at him. "Shadi! How dare you put him in danger like this?! You're not using him in our game!" Yami hissed.

"I am Yami. If you two lose this game, it will mean his death and when the puzzle shatters along with his fall, you two will be sealed back in the puzzle." Shadi said and they knew he couldn't let him do that. "Before I explain the rules, I want to say one thing, about the Sennen Puzzle." he said, looking to them still.

"I do not know how he got his hands on the puzzle and actually had the gall to free you two, especially when the puzzle wasn't completed for three thousand years. Did you decided to choose him to be the one to release you? Or do you think it seem to be a coincidence." he started, walking off slightly.

"But that is wrong, the Sennen Puzzle chose him! It knew he may probably be the one to quell the demon within you two! After three thousand years, it finally had found someone that it believes to be the rightful owner..." Shadi continued.

"My bloodline too has been chosen to wield the powers of the Sennen Items..." he said before Aqua cut him off. "We heard enough. Don't you dare think we can consider ourselves as allies! Just shut up and start the game! Tell us the rules!" he roared, stepping forward.

"Don't be afraid to learn the truth." Shadi whispered. They looked to him warily. "Somewhere in your heart, you two are afraid of your power. You fear that your power may consume your master and take him away from you. You fear for him to learn about your demonic side and scare him away. You fear yourselves." he continued on.

"No! It's not true!" Yami hissed. "But it is! The proof lies before you! The weakness of your hearts!" he said and soon, one of the statues started to crack and soon shattered. Yami's eyes widened. "Yugi, no!" he yelled. _'The statue...it broke on its own!'_

"Did you not realize the game has already started? Your master is standing on the Bridge of Life. It is supported by four ropes attached to four ushebti. Those ushebti were buried with the pharaohs - their names meaning "those who answer". But these particular ushebti are the reflections of your hearts.

"Yami! When either you or Aqua shows weakness of the heart, the ushebti will respond and break one by one and when they all fall, so will your master. And as you can see, there are three left. Can you keep them?" he questioned.

"But let me tell you how you can win. The four ropes holding the Bridge of Life are strung through the ring of the Sennen Ankh. The Sennen Ankh itself is supported by an ushebti that reflects my own heart. In other words, if you can break my will, the ankh will travel down the rope and into his hand. Anyone that had their mind redecorated has to touch the ankh to return back to normal. His life will be saved and I will lose." Shadi explained.

They nodded and Shadi smirked. "Let the game begin." he said. Yami was starting to worry. _'Our hearts are being weighed against aibou's life. This is truly a trial of the mind and if something happens to him, it will be our fault.'_ Yami thought before he started to see wisps of mist surround them.

_'What tricks are you going to use? What are you going to use to test my heart?'_ he thought. _'Let's go, demons, stage one.'_ Shadi thought and the ground beneath them started to crack and hands appearing through the cracks in the ground.

They grabbed them and they gasped, trying to get away. More hands appeared from the ground and dragged rotting corpses with them. They moaned and groaned as they crawled over to them, engulfing their bodies one by one.

"Demons! This is the first stage of your hearts' weighing! Now answer my riddle! "What creeps on the ground and clings to the pillars?" Answer and you'll know what surrounds you." he said. They looked down to the corpses trying to think. _'Creeps on the ground and cling to the pillars! What could it be?!'_ Yami thought frantically, not noticing the ushebti cracking with his worry.

Shadi watched from afar, seeing them trapped in the illusion. _'You're trapped. If you continue to show weakness, you will drown in the illusion and all your ushebti will shatter!'_ Shadi thought. _'You two should know, in Yami no games, those with weak hearts and weak souls always lose. This is how all your victims feel when you bring them in yami no games.'_

_'The only way to defeat the illusion is to hold strong to your heart and answer my question. Find the true nature of the illusion!'_ Yami and Aqua continued to struggle, Yami hissing in anger. _'That which creeps in the ground and clings to the pillars. This is an illusion Shadi put in our minds. But even though it's nothing but an illusion, we can't escape. Is this the weakness of our hearts?'_ he thought and then remembered what Shadi told them. _'_**_"Answer my riddle"_**_, that's what he told us.'_ he thought and then closed his eyes in concentration.

_'If I solve the riddle, the illusion will disappear. Don't rush, just think. Think of his question and remember...that which creeps on the ground and clings to the pillars. What creeps on the ground is the corpses and the what they cling on is us. If I think of this the other way around...a pillar standing and coming off the ground...clinging to it...I have it.'_ Yami thought, eyes snapping open. "Then answer to your riddle is our shadows!" Yami called and the corpses disappeared. Shadi smirked as he looked to them.

"So, you manage to clear the first stage. But that was just testing you. The next stage is even harder! Can you keep up for Yugi's life!" Shadi said as the next challenge was given to them. The ground started to split apart and they stepped back. _'What challenge is he giving us this time?'_ Aqua thought as a pair of glowing eyes glared up at them.

0

Back inside, Jou, with Zella in his arms, and Honda were still running from Yoshimori. "When will this guy give up!" They all yelled.

0

From the ground, a large monster appeared and held them in both its claws. Before them stood nine squares. "This is your next challenge. Under these squares is a reflection of you. But you can't flip them over. Can you guess what it is? What holds you back?" he asked. "You each have a guess." he continued. They looked to the squares in fear.

_'A reflection of us. We're demons and what normally hold us back is Yugi. But that would be too easy. There has to be something else.'_ Yami thought and looked to Aqua. "Have any ideas?" he questioned.

"Not that I know of. He know that we wouldn't said demons since were already such and it would be too easy for the answer to be Yugi. There's has to be something else, something we haven't thought of." Aqua murmured. The monster's grip tightened and they winced in pain. The ushebti started to crack more.

"Wait, a monster is holding us now, maybe it's a monster that's holding us back." Aqua whispered before turning to Shadi. "That's what it is! A monster is holding us back!" he said and the monster behind them disappeared as the tiles flipped over to reveal just that.

They growled as they looked to him. "That was low." Yami hissed. "Well, at least you know. That's why the puzzle shouldn't have been completed. You two are monsters and just for one goal do you feed on the flesh and souls of others." Shadi said. "But it's a better reason than whatever you thinking of right now!" Yami snarled, baring his fangs.

Shadi's ushebti started to crack a little because of their defiance to say he was right. "No matter. This is your final challenge. If you fail this, all your ushebti will break and he will fall." Shadi said as the ground collapsed around them and wisps of smoke came around them before forming into the one thing that can easily give the game to Shadi.

"No, not this. Not him." Yami whispered as the spiritual form of Yugi appeared in front of them. "Yes, your young master. You have shown me that this was the only weakness that you two have. If anything happens to him, you would die. Now let's just see when your worse fear is brought to the test." Shadi said as the spirit version of Yugi walked over and took the puzzle from Yami's neck.

_/"This dreaded thing was the bane of my existence. You two came into my lives and yet never told me that you were demons. How can I trust you?"/_he said as he walked to the edge, holding the puzzle over the edge. Another ushebti broke and Yami gasped

"No! Please, don't do it, aibou! I'm sorry!" Yami cried, falling to his knees. "Yami! Don't listen to him! Remember, this is a game and Shadi is trying to show the weakness in our hearts! He knows that its focus highly upon what Yugi can do to us!" Aqua said and he looked to him before nodding. He got back up again and Yugi glared at them.

_/"So you still won't tell me why you lied to me? Fine, how about we play a game using the puzzle. We'll roll it and if it lands on the side with the Eye of Horus on it, you'll have to take two spaces towards the edge."/_ he said and they nodded, steeling themselves.

Shadi watched with fear, his ushebti cracking more in response. _'They will actually risk their lives in this illusion. It can't be possible! I have learned that their master was their innermost fear! What are they up to?'_ he wondered. Yugi rolled the puzzle like a die and it landed on the Eye of Horus side.

They took two steps and he picked up the puzzle, handing it to them. "No, we're not risking your life, real or spiritual." Aqua said and Yugi nodded as he rolled it again. It landed on the same side and they took two more steps.

They continued on like this until they were a step away from the edge. Yami turned to look at Yugi. "Are you going to roll again?" he whispered. Yugi nodded and was about to but stopped._/"No, I can't. Whether you're demons or not. You're still my friends."/_ he whispered and soon, the illusion disappeared, the puzzle dropping to the ground.

_'No! They broke free!'_ Shadi thought in shock, his own ushebti falling apart. With that, the key slid down the rope and into Yugi's hand. He woke up finally but because of the initial dizziness, he pitched forward. "Yugi!" Yami said, flaring out his wings and was about go after but saw that the board was being held up and with a little nudge, Yugi was able to fall backwards instead. He groaned softly and looked around. "What happened?" he questioned. Yami and Aqua rid themselves of their demons forms and ran over to the gate.

"Be careful, aibou!" Yami called and Yugi saw the only thing supporting him was a board. "Help me!" he cried, looking to them. "Don't worry, Yugi! I got you!" Jou called as he held the board from underneath.

"Climb over the gate, Yugi!" Yugi nodded as he crawled over the board. Yoshimori, though, poked his head out from the window and grabbed his legs, trying to push him off the side. "Hey, get off!" he growled, trying to shake him off while Honda and Zella tried to pull him away.

Yami climbed up the gate, holding his hand out to Yugi who grabbed it and he pulled him up. "Jou! Let go of the board!" Yami said once Yugi was safely on the other side. He did so and the board swung down, hitting Yoshimori and since the ankh was still on it, it returned him back to normal before sliding off the board.

With him not holding his legs, he almost fell forward but Aqua grabbed him and pulled him over the gates as well. Both Zella and Honda fell back after Yoshimori let go. "Well, that was fun." Zella muttered as they landed on the floor with the unconscious Yoshimori on top of them.

Below them, Shadi raised his hand up to grab the Sennen Ankh as it fell and soon walked off. _'I never saw such a compelling mind. We will meet again Yugi and hopefully by that time, your trust in the demons will be stronger.'_ he thought. From another rooftop, a red dragon watched. She shook her head lightly.

_'You and your games, Shadi. It's a miracle they didn't lose their master for that last one. I can see they're devoted to him and don't want to lose him in anyway. Hopefully they aren't too late in telling him their secret. Silence for so long can lead to unwanted problems.'_ she thought before she flew off, promising to come see them again.

0

Outside, the others met with each other, Jou holding Sugoroku's still unconscious form. "That was scary but at least we're all safe." Zella said and they nodded. "Yugi, you best head back home with your grandfather. We have something else to do." Yami said.

"Really? I was hoping we can all walk back together. I thought I almost lost you two." Yugi whispered. "You shouldn't worry about us. It was you who we almost lost. Head back home and we'll be there soon." Aqua said as he and Yami walked off.

They watched them go before Yugi decided to follow him. "You guys take my jii-chan home. Lock the door behind you when you leave. I'm going to see what's up." he whispered and ran off behind them. They watched him go before they started making their way towards Yugi's home.

0

When they got to the morgue, they slipped out with Kanekura's body and dragged it towards the park, unaware that Yugi was watching with wide eyes. _'What are they doing with Kanekura-san's body?'_ he thought.

"This wretched man almost sold off the puzzle. I'm glad Shadi killed him." Yami hissed as they shifted into their demons forms and started to feast, still unaware of their young master watching.

0

Zypher: -wipes forehead- My, this was an extremely long chapter. Sorry for the extremely long wait. Since the votes were even for whether you want the manga or anime version, I thought about combining them together and I'm glad I did cause I couldn't find my issue 8 of Shonen Jump. Almost went crazy when I realized I didn't have it but it all still came out pretty well. Anyways, hoped you enjoyed and will be waiting for the next. See you soon.

(1) - This means "Coming Forth by Day." This was the original title to the Book of the Dead.


	13. Secrets Revealed

Zypher: Still loving all your reviews. Thanks you for your time that you spend to read and review. Tis will be a sad chapter but don't worry, everything will turn out well soon.

0

Yami no Game: Death's Awakening

Chapter 13

0

Yugi watched fearfully as Yami and Aqua feasted upon a man, Yugi realizing him to be Kanekura-san from the museum, hunger gleaming in their eyes as they tore and ripped off flesh hungrily. _'No, this can't be, they told me that the myths weren't true, that they weren't demonic spirits.'_ he thought, backing away before he ran off.

Yami's ear twitched lightly and he raised his head, sniffing the air lightly before gasping. "No, it can't be." he whispered and Aqua looked to him. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Yugi was just here and I believe he saw something that he shouldn't know of just yet until he was ready." Yami whispered. "You don't mean..." Aqua murmured. He nodded to confirm his fears.

"He knows."

0

Yugi was in his room, now crying as he thought about the time he spent with Yami and Aqua's newly acquired forms.

_'I thought they were just normal spirits, normal spirits that were trapped because of them doing a good cause for the country they came from. Now here they are, showing me that they were nothing but bloodthirsty beasts that feed off the living and keeping it all a secret from me. I could've accepted that but since they never told me, how can I ever trust them again?'_ he thought, still crying.

He heard footsteps and buried his head into his pillow. He heard a faint knock and Yami's voice floating through the wooden door. "Yugi, please, come out and we'll explain everything." he murmured.

"No, you betrayed my trust. I believed everything you said and this is what you kept from me. How can I ever trust you again..." he whimpered. "Please, we're sorry but we didn't know if you would even accept us as demons. That's why we kept it as a secret from you. You heard the myths and we feared what you could've done. Please understand." Aqua spoke.

"No! How can I understand?! You said you cared about me! That you would tell me everything and I would do the same! But this! You kept it a secret from me, your own aibou! How can we even be part of the same soul if you don't share something as important as this?! I thought I could trust you but you broke it now. It's best you two just leave me and never come back!" Yugi cried, looking to the door which was now open.

Yami stood stoic but you could clearly see the pain in his eyes from Yugi's words. "You can't mean this, aibou..." he started but Yugi cut him off. "I'm not your partner anymore! Just leave! The both of you! I hate you both!" Those last four words shattered everything inside Yami and Aqua. "No, it can't be..." Yami started, tears now coursing down his face.

"I can't lose you, aibou. Please, aibou, don't make us leave..." he whispered but Yugi only curled up further on the bed. He fell to his knees and sobbed. "No! I can't lose you, aibou! We can't lose you! Please, don't let us go!" he cried, banging his fist onto the hardwood floor of his bedroom.

"Just leave. Leave and never come back, Yami and Aqua." Yugi whispered softly and Aqua, who too had tears rolling down the sides of his face, helped Yami back up.

"Come on, we best do as he wishes. Yugi, little master, we're sorry we betrayed you for this. In truth, we love you to our very core, that's why we punished those that could've put you and us in danger. We hoped everything we did will at least make you forgive us to some extent. We'll leave now and never come back as you wished." he whispered and led Yami out.

"I don't want to leave. Please, I don't want to leave aibou, my koibito..." Yami sobbed as he was led from the room and soon the shop. "This is what he wished, Yami, and we vowed to obey his every wish. Let's go, maybe there's a place we can go." Aqua said and with another sob, he nodded and soon flew off, Aqua following behind him. He looked down to the watch that he kept around his neck and pulled it off, dropping it to the pavement before following Yami once more.

0

Back inside, Yugi was now sitting up once more, arms wrapped around his knees as tears still coursed down his cheeks. He thought over the facts of the myths and then how they treated him. It wasn't like anything the myths spoke of and compared to them, he trusted their word more than the words circling around the Sennen Puzzle. He realized his mistake now and knew he shouldn't have yelled at what they thought could've been danger to themselves.

_'They have been sealed away for so long and I was the only one to complete the puzzle...they didn't want to scare me by confirming what many called the curse of the Sennen Puzzle. They feared me because I held their life in my hands.'_ he thought.

"I'm sorry, Yami and Aqua. Please, don't go. I didn't mean to yell." he cried. He stood up and ran from his room and down the stairs, bursting out the front door of the shop and looked up into the air, just seeing Yami and Aqua's silhouettes flying away from him.

"Yami! Aqua! Please come back! I'm sorry!" he shouted but they didn't hear and he fell to the ground. "Why? Why did I yell at them for something so stupid? They probably kept it a secret from me cause they didn't want to scare me off before I could get the chance to know them more. Everything they did was to help me. And all I did was pushed them away and now, they're gone." he whispered and then looked up, seeing a gleam in front of him and saw the watch that Aqua wore.

He crawled over to it, feeling too weak to stand up on his own, and picked up the watch. It was frozen in time now, a second away from the twelve which would have made it exactly 12:00. _'There must've been a meaning to this watch. That's why Aqua had it on. I need to find out and fast.'_ he thought as he stood and soon ran to the nearest library, desperation and hope fueling him.

0

They were soon flying over Egypt, their old home and probably their only home. Aqua sighed and soon landed in a remote part of the desert region. "Come on, maybe we can make some sort of burrow or something to house us for the time being." he muttered and Yami only nodded absentmindedly. Aqua placed a hand on his shoulder lightly to comfort him before he started to dig through the sand and dirt, Yami only watching for a silent moment before going over to help him.

Once they were deep underground, Aqua used the shadows to started making a series of tunnel that would at least lead them to a town and oasis. "I really miss aibou." Yami whispered as he sat on a protruding, flat faced rock. "I know, Yami. I miss him as well but we both knew that he probably would react this way after he found out. Just not in the way we were expecting when we told him." Aqua replied.

"Well, it was our fault. We kept such an important secret away from him all because we didn't want to be sent away like this or sealed back into the cold, dark chains of the puzzle. But we waited too long and now he was angry at us for doing this to him. Hopefully he's happier without us around." he said, looking to Aqua.

"I think he'll be fine. He now doesn't have to worry anymore about bloodthirsty demons in his shadows."

0

Yugi finally made it to the library and looked through everything he could find on Egyptian mythology but nothing came up about Yami and Aqua. "There has to be something here. Yami and Aqua has to be part of Egypt's history somewhere." he said desperately as he looked through another book and found nothing. He hiccupped lightly from crying as he closed the book.

_'Yami and Aqua are gone forever and nothing here is helping me. Now I'll never know the purpose of this watch and if it could help me in some way.'_he thought sadly.

He started to place the books away but after he placed the last one back, he saw a dusty one hidden in the dark corner of the bookcase. "Wonder what this could be?" he said to himself as he picked up the dusty book and went to sit back down at the table, placing the watch beside him.

He blew away the dust from the book and saw the same eye that was on the puzzle on the book. "Hopefully I found something." he said once more as he opened the ancient tome.

_In Ancient Egypt, one item made from the most powerful of demons contained the souls of the two demonic spirits after losing their mortal form to a cursed spell. They seek for the one they wish to have as their eternal soulmate but many who solved the puzzle were never perfect so they dealt punishment to those that didn't suit them via yami no game which is also a game of death._

_They are known as the game kings and never lost a yami no game to their victims which they use their vitality as payment for their loss. They hoped that one day, they will find their mate but to no luck. But rumor has it that if they found the one they wanted to be with, one would wear a watch to show the time they had before they regain a true form and claim their mate when the clock strikes twelve._

_But if something was to happen and they were sent away by their soul partner and not by another, they would leave the watch which their soul partner can use to grant their wish of seeing them again._

_But myths were told that the wish wanting to be granted will only work based on certain times. The closer to midnight it is, the chances that the wish will be granted to their soul partner and only their soul partner._

Yugi looked to the watch and was almost giddy with joy to see that the watch was only a second away from midnight before it was frozen. _'Hopefully this myth is true about them in particular. I don't want to be away from them any longer than I want to be. I miss them and I regret ever yelling at them and sending them away.'_ he thought as he picked up the watch and made his wish, closing his eyes.

The watch gave off a golden glow and he felt the rush of power wash over him in waves. He soon felt like he was being tugged through a vortex but he still kept his eyes closed as he was being transported to Yami and Aqua's new home.

0

After getting their meal for the night, they laid on separate shadow-conjured beds. Aqua was already asleep but Yami was not, only lying there, silently reminiscing on those days that he and Aqua were able to spend with their aibou.

_'Guess I need to stop thinking of him as such.'_ he thought as he buried his head into his arms. He wasn't aware of the golden light appearing into the cave until he felt a brush of wind along his back and looked up, seeing a form in the light.

Aqua groaned softly and looked up as well and gasped. _'He couldn't have? I thought he didn't want to see us ever again.'_ he thought as Yugi's form now showed through the light and it disappeared soon after. Yami sat up and looked to him. Yugi opened his eyes, still clutching the watch close to him and looked to them. "Yami?" he whispered, hoping it wasn't a dream.

"Yes, it's me but why did you come? I thought you wanted us to leave you." Yugi dropped the watch and ran over to him, tears of happiness coursing down his face. "No! I was so wrong! I don't want you two to leave me. I made such a big deal over a secret that I should've waited until you were ready to tell me.

"Anger just came over me cause you kept such a secret from me but I can see why. You just didn't want to frighten me and made the situation worse for you two since I held your lives in my hands." Yugi whimpered as he wrapped his arms around him. Yami was shocked at hearing this but returned the gesture.

"You did all this just to find us again?" Yami asked and he nodded against his chest. "Yes, I'm so sorry for sending you away. I do love you. My anger spoke out those words and I didn't mean it. Please, do you forgive me for being so cruel over something so trivial?" Yugi asked, looking up to him.

Aqua smiled and left his bed, walking over to them. "Of course we will. As long as you accept us for what we are." Aqua said and he nodded. "Of course, how can I not?" he replied as he looked to him with a smile.

Yami smiled as well before standing. "How about we get back home now? I'm sure you need some sleep after crying for so long." Yami said as he wiped away Yugi's tears and he nodded as he held onto him.

He left for the dugout entrance and Aqua looked back down to where the watch was and picked it up, it returned back to normal and the last second ticked off, making it midnight and he smiled. _'We finally have our mate now and he has accepted us even through hardships just from what we are.'_he thought before he left out as well.

0

From afar, Keara watched from below, happy to see that they were together now. _'Good for you that you are together. I don't want to see you two any sadder than you need to be. Best of luck for you both and I'll come to check on you two regularly.'_ she thought before flying off.

0

Zypher: And that's all for that chapter. See, I told you everything will turn out well for them. Anyways, hoped you enjoyed it and will be waiting for the next. See you soon.


	14. Witchcraft Trickery

Zypher: Thank you all for reading the last chapter. Since I had all these chapters planned beforehand, I just had to get them out before I started with any other story for the moment. So I hope you will enjoy this next installment of Yami no Game: Death's Awakening.

0

Yami no Game: Death's Awakening

Chapter 14

0

In a mansion not far from Domino City, three cloaked figures stood around a cauldron. One threw in some more ingredients to the bubbling mixture. "Soon, we'll have what we need." One of the figures said and the other two nodded in agreement, their wicked laughter echoing through the empty halls of the mansion.

0

After dealing with Shadi and his games along with saving Yami and Aqua from a life of loneliness, Yugi happily spent more time with his two new demonic yet gentle lovers. He still made time for his friends but now, Yami and Aqua joined with them more often just to be by Yugi's side. Today, they were in the shop, Yugi's grandfather telling them of a new series of Duel Monsters cards that he was about to sell. Jou, Zella and Honda walked through the door, greeting Yugi, Yami and Aqua.

"So, is your jii-chan back with that new shipment of cards yet?" Zella asked. "No, not yet but he should be getting here soon." Yugi said and no sooner after he mentioned that, he walked in with a box. "Ah, nice to see you all. I see you have come to see the new Duel Monsters cards, haven't you?" he asked and they nodded. "Alright then, here they are." he said as he opened the box and they all looked inside to see the new packs. "Wow, they look so cool!" Jou exclaimed. "Yeah! And who knows what kind of rare cards they may have!"

"Well, as a gift, you each can have one." Sugoroku said with a smile. Zella looked to him, astonished. "Really?" she asked and he nodded. "Sugoi!" Yugi said happily as he reached in for one. The others did so as well and opened their packs, looking through the cards. Yugi bubbled with joy as he came upon a rare one.

While they were admiring their new cards, someone wearing a cloak entered the shop, posing like an everyday passerby. The cloaked figure watched them silently as they stayed away from the group, looking as if they were examining another piece of merchandise.

"Look at this, jii-chan! I got this card!" Yugi said, showing his grandfather the card. "Ah, I see you got the Violet Hecate, one out of three rare cards called the Hecate Witches. It is very valuable and you should keep it safe." Sugoroku said and the others looked at the card as well. "Only you deserve the best." Yami said, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. They were unaware the cloaked figure listened in before leaving out the shop as quietly as they came.

0

The next day at school, which Yami and Aqua accompanied Yugi to, Yugi was opening his locker to grab his books for his first class when an envelope fell out. He looked down, curious, and picked up the note. He turned it to the back and saw the heart shaped sticker keeping the envelope closed. Yami growled slightly, thinking of who would dare send his koi a love letter. "I say you should get rid of it, Yugi-koi. Who knows who could've sent it." Aqua murmured. "Well, I'm curious to see who it came from. Let's just see who sent it." They were defiant for a moment before they nodded.

He opened the envelope and took out the letter that was inside.

_Hello,_

_Sending this letter may have surprised you. I just wanted to express my feelings for you that I kept in my mind. Can you show up to meet me? I'll be at Domino Park. Please come after school._

_Kageyama Risa_

Yami snorted. "The girl is obviously crazy if she thinks you will go to meet her." he muttered.

"Well, I probably wouldn't for your sake but I don't want her to be left out there alone."

"You can't be serious, Yugi. Don't worry about her. She'll be fine." Aqua said as Yugi grabbed his books and headed off to class.

"I'll just go and see what she wants and that will be the last time I'll ever see her. Will that work?" Yugi questioned, looking to them. "Fine, you can go see her but that's the only time. For some reason, I can't trust this girl and it's not because she likes you." Yami murmured as they disappeared back into the puzzle.

0

After school, Yugi told his friends where he was going, not mentioning the note or the girl he was about to meet. "I'll see you all tomorrow." Yugi said as he climbed onto Tu Long's back and he walked off towards the park.

When he got there, he slid off Tu Long's back, unaware that Yami and Aqua came out from the puzzle and hid in a nearby bush to see who this girl was. _'If she actually swooned our little master, I'll kill her myself.'_ Yami thought. Yugi sat on the bench, Tu Long sitting beside him. Soon, a blue-haired girl wearing a formal uniform from an all girls' school came into the park, holding a wrapped present. She smiled as she saw Yugi sitting there and waved to him, walking over. "Hi, you must be Yugi." she said.

"Yeah, that's me." Yugi said as he stood. "Oh, I am so glad I could meet you. Here, I made this for you." she said, handing him the present and he opened it, finding it to be a handmade shirt. Yugi admired the shirt in awe and Risa looked down, gazing at the puzzle. She went to reach but a faint fiery red glow stopped her and she almost felt the hatred and demonic energy coming from the puzzle. She hissed as she felt the evil emitting from the puzzle. Yugi looked up to her. "Are you alright?" he asked and she smiled, nodding.

"Yes, I'm fine. I better head home now. I hope we can meet again." Risa said and Yugi nodded before he watched her walk off. _'I wonder what she could see in me?'_ he thought as he climbed onto Tu Long's back and he took his home, Yami and Aqua returning to the puzzle silently, still angered that the girl dared to even try to become Yugi's girlfriend. _'If she tries anything to makes him become hers, I will rip off her head and throw her remains into the ocean for the sharks.'_ Yami growled within the puzzle.

0

Once Yugi was home, he decided to have a duel with his jii-chan, placing his new Violet Hecate into his deck. Yugi's mind was still on Risa and why she chose now to meet with him and confess her love. _'She probably knew about me beforehand so why didn't she think about this before? But of course, that may have been a bad idea cause with Yami and Aqua loving me then and yet never told me, they probably would've hurt her for taking that chance away from them or probably left me sooner just to let me be happy without them in the way.'_ Yugi thought and then looked up when he heard his grandfather call him.

"Yugi, you should pay attention or your Hecate will pay the price for it." he said as he laid down a few more cards before giving the turn to Yugi. He was about to take his turn but the phone rang and Sugoroku went to answer it. It was silent before Yugi looked up when he called his name. "Yugi, there's someone named Risa calling you." He said and Yugi got off the stool to get the phone. He took it from his grandfather and he went back into the game shop to clean up their cards, ending the duel for tonight.

"Hi Yugi!" Risa said happily over the phone. "Hi, Risa. Why are you calling so late?" he asked.

"Just to ask if you would meet me again at the park tomorrow."

"I guess I can." he said and she was happy to hear that. "Great! I'll see you tomorrow then!" she said gleefully before the line went dead. Yugi hung up the phone as well and sighed. _'I need to do something before I upset Yami and Aqua again. I don't want them to leave me. Not again.'_ he thought before he headed upstairs to get ready for bed and maybe talk with Yami and Aqua in their soul room.

0

Before he headed to bed for the night, he did just that and headed into their soul room. "Yami? Aqua? Are you still in here?" he called softly. They appeared out of the shadows and looked to him. "Is there something you need, Yugi-koi?" Aqua asked. "Yes, I want to ask you something." Yugi whispered. They nodded. "Come, let's head into your soul room instead." Yami said as they walked out and went into the warm comfort of Yugi's soul room. Yugi sat down on the soft white bed and both Yami and Aqua stood in front of him.

"Now, what do you wish to ask us?" Yami questioned and Yugi looked up to them. "Yami, Aqua, are you two upset because of Risa trying to become my girlfriend?" Yugi asked softly. "Yes, we are upset cause she dares to make advances when we already have you as our own as you have us. But if you wish to still see her then we won't mind as long as you don't go to her permanently." Aqua answered. "But you won't leave me again, will you?" he asked, tears coming to his eyes as he stood up from the bed and ran to Yami, wrapping his arms around his waist.

"I don't want you two to be upset enough to leave me again." he whispered in choked sobs. Yami wrapped his arms around him gently and kissed the tips of his hair. "No, we won't leave you again. You don't need your fragile heart to be broken once again because of our departure." he whispered and Yugi nodded quietly against his chest.

"Thank you. I really hate to upset you two enough to leave me and have no way of reaching you again."

"Don't worry, you won't lose us again." Aqua said as he walked over and nuzzled him.

"Now why don't you get some rest. You do have school tomorrow." Yami said as he lifted the younger and placed him in the bed, covering him up and tucking him in. They were about to leave when he called to them. "Please, don't go. Stay with me tonight." Yugi whispered and they complied with their young love's wish and slipped in beside him, Yugi sighing happily to have them by his side. "I love you." he said softly. "And we return your love with our own." Aqua said, placing a kiss upon his cheek.

Yugi yawned softly and snuggled into the pillow, falling asleep quietly. Yami and Aqua watched him sleep with a smile before they too went to sleep.

0

The next day, at the end of the school day, Yugi told his friends that he had something to do before climbing onto Tu Long's back once more to head to the park. He waited at the bench once more, waiting for Risa. She walked down the pathway, in her hands another gift. She smiled when she saw Yugi waiting for her and walked over quickly. "Glad to see you again, Yugi!" she said, holding out her latest gift. He was tempted to not take it but to keep her happy, he took it and unwrap it, looking to the handmade scarf she gave him.

"Thanks, Risa." he said softly before turning his amethyst gaze onto her. "Risa, I have something to ask you." he said and she nodded. "Ask away." she told him. "When did you start to like me?" he asked, not telling her anything about him already spoken for. "I can't describe it. When I first saw you in the shop, it was just love at first sight. I couldn't deny it." she said and he nodded. He stood up from the bench and thanked her for the gift before he climbed onto Tu Long's back and he walked back towards the game shop. But as he left, he never noticed the evil glare she gave him.

0

With all these gifts she was showering him, he knew it may be soon before she tries more than gift giving and was going to refuse her love and tell her he was already seeing someone tomorrow after school. Yami and Aqua were happy to hear this and promised to get a gift for him that was way better than what Risa gave him. But when they got back, Sugoroku told them that Yugi was falling ill. "But how? He never went near anyone that was sick or caught something from somewhere else." Aqua murmured as they walked up to his bedroom.

"I knew there was something wrong. It must be something dealing with that Risa girl." Yami said with a growl as they enter the bedroom to only encounter Yugi being cared for by Risa herself. She looked up when she heard someone come in and smiled. "Oh hello. I believe we never met before. I'm Risa." she introduced. Yami snorted lightly before introducing themselves. They looked over to Yugi who was resting and quietly walked over to him, ignoring Risa. Aqua gently stroked Yugi's fevered head and sighed lightly.

"Is there any medicine left?" he asked, not looking to Risa. "No, he took the last bit before he fell asleep." Risa said. He nodded before he got up. "Yami, I'm going to head to the store to get some medicine for Yugi." he said and he nodded. He took Jin Long with him as he made his way to the pharmacy and grabbed a bottle of medicine.

He headed back home and when he got upstairs, he saw that she already had medicine for the young hikari. _'But how? I never saw her come into the pharmacy while I was there.'_ he thought before putting the medicine into the medicine cabinet.

He walked back into the room and saw Yami was back in there, absent when he came back a few minutes ago. "Yami, tell me. Did you see Risa leave at all while I was gone?" he asked. "No, I stayed in here for a while and then went downstairs to get something to drink and I never heard anyone come in ever since." Yami said. Aqua snarled lightly and looked to him. "You may be right, something is wrong about this girl and we need to find out soon before Yugi gets hurt." He snapped and he nodded.

Risa looked up to them with a small smile. "May I ask you two a favor and head to the supermarket? We have no more ice." Risa said and they nodded. _'I need to get rid of them both somehow but if one goes, the other will stay so I need to think of another way.'_ she thought, a grim look crossing her face.

0

Aqua handed Jin Long the money and told him what they needed before he watched the dragon fly off. Without them noticing, another girl snuck in from the back door with a bag of ice and left it in the kitchen before leaving just as quietly as she came to not catch their attention.

0

As Jin Long took the bag of ice and some oranges to help cure Yugi's mysterious illness faster from the shopkeep, he didn't notice the girl that looked exactly like Risa appear in front of him. He looked up just in time as the girl pushed him, using the momentum of shock to knock him down. He growled but by the time he got back up, she was gone. _'There's something odd going on. I better head back quickly.'_ he thought as he flew off once more.

0

When he got back, he was told that Risa somehow already had ice and he told them of what happened at the market. "We need to figure this out and fast. Yugi may be in danger because of this girl." Yami said and they nodded. Jin Long took the ice and oranges into the kitchen while they headed upstairs. They entered the room once again and glared at Risa.

"Alright, Risa. What's going on here? We sent our dragon to go grab some ice and he has told us you have pushed him at the market." Yami hissed.

"But I never left the room. I was here the whole entire time." Risa said and Yugi, who they now saw was awake, nodded. "Yes, she was here the whole entire time and never left my bedside." he whispered. They nodded and moved Risa to sit by his bedside. She sighed lightly and stood. "Well, I better get home." she said and looked to Yugi.

"I hope you feel better soon and as thanks for my services, why don't you give me a gift." she suggested and he looked to her. "What do you want?" he asked and she looked to his deck sitting on the nightstand, seeing the Violet Hecate sitting on the top. "How about that Violet Hecate card. I have always wanted one." she said and Yami growled.

"No, you can't have that. That is a special card for Yugi and he would never give it up." Yami growled, looking to her. She looked angry at that and soon left. Yami snorted and stroked Yugi's head calmly, putting the younger boy back to sleep.

_'Good riddance.'_

0

Later that night, Yugi woke up to hearing shuffling in his room and sat up, seeing a shadowed figure digging through his room in search of something. "Hey, who are you?" he whispered as he got up from the bed. The figure looked at him and he gasped when he saw it was Risa but it wasn't how she looked when he saw her before.

"Risa!" he cried in shock but the girl only attacked him, her hand wrapping around his neck. Yami and Aqua headed back into the puzzle for the night but came out as their demon forms to deal with the intruder. Yami snarled as he climbed off the bed. "Let him go." he hissed and she did so. "Why are you here, girl?" he questioned as he stood in front of Yugi to protect him.

"I'm here to get the Violet Hecate whether he gives it to me or not." Risa said as two more girls appeared that looked exactly like her. "So that's how you always had the things you needed once one of us left to get what you needed. And it was you who caused aibou to get sick!" Aqua growled. They laughed and the demons hissed in annoyance.

"You won't get the Violet Hecate." Yami murmured as he picked up Yugi's cards that were scattered on the floor as well as Yugi. They were at a standstill before both Yami and Aqua jumped in the air, taking their time of shock to make it out of the skylight and flew out into the city. Risa growled as they went to follow them.

0

Yugi gripped Yami's shirt lightly, feeling his fever coming back to him. Aqua, seeing this, let a cool tendril of shadows cover his forehead. "Don't worry, Yugi-koi. We'll get away from them soon." he said and he nodded lightly. They landed in a nearby alley and laid Yugi against the wall. They went to opposite sides of the alley to watch out for the three sisters. They were unaware that they were already there and one grabbed Yugi, gaining a choked scream from him. They turned back and growled.

"How did you get here before us?!" Yami snapped. "Now, now. You don't want his fever to get worse, do you?" Risa questioned and he growled even more. "You crossed the line by causing him to get sick. I don't know how but I won't let this go unpunished." he hissed as the shadows gathered around them and a table appeared before them. "We'll have a duel and if we win, you will be dealt with in a way you wouldn't imagine but if you win, you'll get the Violet Hecate in exchange for Yugi." he said and they nodded.

They shuffled their decks and took their five cards, the sisters grinning as they got what they needed to finish the duel faster. "I'll start first." Yami said as he placed down Pyramid Turtle in defense mode. "Now, look at the strength that the Hecate Witches contain." Risa spoke as she placed down the Red Hecate with an attack of 2700 and easily destroyed the Pyramid Turtle. "You naive fools. I use Pyramid Turtle special ability to send out Vampire Lord." he said as the Pyramid Turtle disappeared from the field and the Vampire Lord took its place.

Risa growled and set some cards before giving him the turn. He smirked as he drew and set a card face down. "Now, let me show you the powers of the darkness and shadows. I sacrifice Vampire Lord to summon Vampire Genesis and I'll end my turn." he said.

"It makes me wonder why you didn't use this chance to attack but it makes it better for me. Now, I'll summon Yellow Hecate in attack mode and end my turn." she said and he nodded. He drew and smirked. "I set two cards face down and one in defense before I use Card Destruction." he said and they growled as they discarded their hand and drew another but smirked even more as they got the card they needed to defeat Yami.

But they never saw the flash in his eyes as he gained the cards he needed as well. "It's your turn." he said and Risa laughed in glee. "Ah, you should've destroyed our witches while you had the chance. Now, I'll summon the Violet Hecate and when combine together, they create the ultimate Hecate who has attack equal to your Vampire Genesis." Risa said. "But we won't attack yet for we have a way to destroy your Vampire Genesis and your face down." Risa said as her sisters giggled as they were close to winning.

"But you never know what resides in my deck. I now flip over Double Coston and use its special ability to summon my Black Magician." he said as the purple robed magician appeared before the hulking form of Vampire Genesis. "This will be your last turn before you are defeated for good." he said and they growled.

"You can't defeat us with that puny magician." she said as she drew her card. "Now my Hecate, attack his Black Magician!" she commanded and the witch went to launch her attack. "Not so fast, I use Draining Shield to take her attack points and add it to my life points." he said as Black Magician had a shield materialize in front of him and took the attack.

Risa snorted and ended her turn. "Now, for your defeat. I use Dedication Through Light and Darkness to sacrifice my Black Magician for Black Magician of Chaos." he said as plumes of black smoke engulfed the Black Magician and left in his place was the Black Magician of Chaos. Risa laughed in mirth. "He can't destroy my Hecate." she pointed but saw the gleam in his eyes. "Not now, he can't. First, I equip Axe of Despair onto my Vampire Genesis," he said as the large axe appeared in the beast's hands.

"And now, I equip Malevolent Nuzzler onto Black Magician of Chaos, making his attack 3500 which is enough to defeat your Hecate. Attack Black Magician of Chaos with Chaos Scepter Blast!" Yami called and the magician launched the large spear of black energy towards the Hecate, ending her life and takes 500 life points from the sisters, leaving them with 3500.

"Any last words?" he asked, his Vampire Genesis grinning with glee as he held the axe in his hands. "No? Fine then. Vampire Genesis, finish them off." The large beast swung the axe, leaving a large gash upon them as their life points decreased down to 0.

The shadows disappeared and their bodies left on the ground. Yami and Aqua absorbed their souls before Aqua went to pick up Yugi. He was asleep but his fever was still high so they quickly made their way back home to care for their koi.

After they left, a man walked into the alley and looked down to the three Kageyama sisters. He kneeled down and checked the pulse of one, not finding any. Another walked into the alley only it was a sphinx. "What happened here?" he asked. "Don't know but I'm glad these three witchcraft sisters are gone." The first muttered before looking down to the cards on the ground. "And it looks like we're dealing with someone who knows more magic. Feh. Magic isn't real." he finished as he walked off towards the limo parked there.

The other sighed and followed behind him. "Seto, one day you'll believe this magic is real. But for now, I suggest we find out whoever defeated them and try out our dueling skills with them as well." he spoke and he nodded.

0

Back home, Yugi's fever broke and he smiled up to Yami and Aqua. "Thanks for taking care of Risa for me." he said and they nodded. "She hurt you and she had to be dealt with. She's lucky we gave her a little mercy and took her and her sisters' souls instead of both souls and flesh." Yami said as he stroked Yugi's head. "Now get some rest. We'll burn that stuff she gave you so you won't get sick again if that what caused you to get sick in the first place." he continued and Yugi thanked them once more before falling asleep.

_'One day, I'll figure out a way to repay them back for everything they did. Now that I understand why they deal death to those that harm me or my friends, I can repay them back more than just giving them my love. But I'll have to wait but hopefully it will be soon.'_ he thought.

0

Zypher: And there's the end of chapter 14 and the arrival of Seto and Ruby. What will they be up to this time. Well, you'll find out in a few more chapters. But for now, I hoped you enjoyed this chapter and will be waiting for the next. See you soon.


	15. Master of Pets

Zypher: Well, time for another chapter of Yami no Game: Death's Awakening. Glad you all liked the last chapter and hopefully you'll enjoy this one as well.

0

Yami no Game: Death's Awakening

Chapter 15

0

After Yugi was over the fever he had, he was back in school after catching up with the work he missed. He walked with Yami and Aqua and stood by them at the school gates. "Well, I best get to class. See you after school." he said and Yami smiled as he leaned down to kiss his cheek. "We'll be here. Have a good day, koibito." Yami said and he nodded with a smile before leaving. Once he was gone, they made sure all the students were in the school before unfurling their wings and leaving. They never noticed that one stood back and saw them.

"Hmm, this is interesting." The student said to himself before leaving for class.

0

Once the lunch period came up, the student from earlier walked over to Yugi's desk. "Hey, Yugi, I want to ask you something." The student said. Yugi looked up to him and smiled. "Yes, Hayama-kun. What is it?" Yugi asked. "Well, I have something I need to do and I need someone to watch over my pet. Do you think you could help me?" Hayama asked. "Sure! I can do that for you." he answered with a smile. Hayama smiled as well. "Thanks, Yugi-kun." Yugi nodded, still smiling. "No problem, Hayama-kun."

He left his desk and left out the classroom, grinning. _'Soon, I'll see what those winged beings are truly.'_ he thought.

0

After school, Hayama met up with Yugi and they both left out. Yugi waved to Yami and Aqua who waited by the gate. "Hello, koibito." Yami greeted as Yugi jumped into his arms and kissed his cheek lightly. "Hi, Yami! I want you two to meet my new friend, Hayama-kun." He said, pointing over to him. He waved slightly and they nodded. "Ready to head home?" he asked. "Well, I need to stop by Hayama-kun's house to get his pet that he wants me to take care of. Mind waiting for me back at the shop?" he asked and they nodded.

Yami placed Yugi down and he walked back over to Hayama. "Come on! Let's get your pet, Hayama-kun." Hayama nodded as they left in another direction. They watched them go before leaving in a bout of shadows, unaware once again that Hayama turned back to see them leave.

_'Very interesting.'_

0

Yugi waved to Hayama as he left, holding the carrier that held a little kitten along with some things that he needed. "Bye, Yugi-kun. See you tomorrow." he called before leaving back inside. He walked over to the phone and picked it up, dialing a number. "Hey, it's Hayama. I have a job for you and you be given a good treat if you do this right." he whispered to the other person on the line.

0

Yugi's grandfather was gone on another trip so Yami and Aqua were able to freely be in their demon form as they pleased. Now, the little kitten was playing with them, crawling over Aqua's back and tumbling down his tail, mewling cutely. "Such a sweet kitten. We haven't seen a cat in so many years." Yami said as he picked up the kitten and stroking her back, making her purr in content.

"Well, you two had been locked away in the puzzle for so long with no one to free you. Glad that I was able to help." Yugi said as he took the toy mouse and she perked up before jumping out from Yami's hands to play with it, making him smile.

"We're happy you did. Even with the myths that hovered around the puzzle, you still decided to complete it and trust us for who we were even after the little difficulty we went through." Aqua said. "I know. I still feel horrible for that but at least it was settled before anything worse happened." Yugi murmured, looking to them.

They smiled and nodded. Yugi then looked over at the clock. "Well, it's getting late. Shouldn't you two go out and feed before heading to bed?" he asked. "We could but we can go the night without anything to feed our demonic hunger." Yami said.

In the shadows outside, a teen stood there, taking some pictures of Yami and Aqua while they were in their demon forms. "You should go. I don't want you two to go hungry now. I'm supposed to be taking care of you." Yugi said, huffing lightly and they laughed softly. "Same with us taking care of you but if you insist. But we want you to head to bed now before we leave." Yami said as they stood. Yugi nodded, holding the kitten in his arms. "Alright. Oyasumi." Yugi whispered before heading upstairs.

"Oyasumi, koibito." Yami whispered before they left out quietly, locking the door behind them. "I still can't believe we have such a sweet koibito like him. The gods are merciful to us." Aqua murmured as they unfurled their wings. "Yes but hopefully soon he will give us more than that. I will wait until the end of the world when he is ready to give us the sweet gift that is his innocence." Yami said before they flew off to hunt an unworthy soul. The kid stayed in the shadows until they left before following. _'I should get a lot from Hayama-sama for this.'_ he thought.

0

After grabbing someone, they headed to a secluded area and started to eat their meal, unaware that the kid was still watching and taking photos. _'I still can't believe it. Demons? With that Yugi kid? Hayama-sama will be pleased to hear this but why does he want to know so much about them?'_ he thought. Yami gulped down the heart of their victim and licked away the blood. "Satisfying as always. Come, let's get back to Yugi so we won't worry him for not coming back." Aqua nodded before they flew off once more.

The kid left, heading back to Hayama's. When he got there, Hayama was already waiting at the door. "Did you get what I wanted?" he asked. "Yes, Hayama-sama. I learned much about them and also have photos that may prove to be shocking." The kid said, handing them to him. He looked over them, becoming more interested. "And what did you learn about them?" he asked, looking to him.

"They said they wanted Yugi. He is their lover and they want his virginity but they're planning to wait until he's ready."

"Hmm, that may come in handy." Hayama said before pocketing the pictures and taking some yen out from his pocket, tossing the coins out onto the pavement. "Here, now go away. I'll call if I need more help from you." he said, leaving back into his house. The kid nodded as he took the scattered yen before leaving. "Demons…right here in Domino City. They will make excellent pets for me." he hummed with a grin. "And I have the perfect thing to use as a treat to make sure they obey my every command."

0

The next day at school, Yugi was greeted by Hayama. "Ohayo gozaimasu, Hayama-kun." Yugi said as he left Aqua's side to meet with. "Ohayo, Yugi-kun. How's my kitten?" he asked. "She's wonderful! I think she likes being at my home. Yami and Aqua could never get enough of her being around." Yugi replied as they walked into the building and both Yami and Aqua left.

"That's great. I really thank you for watching her for me." Hayama said. "It's no problem." Hayama smiled before stopping him with a light tug on his arm. "Yugi-kun, I have another favor to ask of you." Yugi looked to him curiously. "What is it, Hayama-kun?" he asked. "Well, do you think you can meet me over at my house today. I want to explain something to you and I don't want to burden you at your house." Hayama asked.

Yugi nodded. "Of course, I'll come over."

Hayama smiled. "Great. Arigato, Yugi-kun." Hayama said before leaving for his class.

Yugi watched him go before heading to his own.

0

After school, Yugi bid goodbye to his friends before waiting at the gate for Hayama. Behind the building, Hayama was conversing with the kid he talked to yesterday. "Well my pet, your usefulness is slowly dissipating. I have another in mind but we need the bait." Hayama muttered. "But…but…you can't do this to me…" The kid whimpered and Hayama's eyes narrowed. "A dog shouldn't speak back to its master." he hissed, pulling out a whip and cracked it threateningly.

0

After a while, Yugi was thinking about heading home when Hayama called his name, running over to him. "Sorry for the long wait. A teacher held me back." Hayama excused and Yugi nodded before they headed to Hayama's house.

They walked in and Hayama locked the door. Yugi turned before he started to question what was going on. "We'll have a talk alright but it's about your two demon lovers. They will become my new pets soon." Hayama hissed. Yugi gasped and would've run to try and warn them if he wasn't grabbed.

"Yamero! Hottoite-kure-yo!" Yugi cried, trying to escape his grip. "Sorry, Yugi-kun, but I need you in order to lure them and once they come," He took out his whip and snapped it. "Then I'll make them into my perfect pets." he whispered before they left, Yugi crying out and still trying to escape the kid's grip.

0

Aqua was petting the kitten, watching as Yami paced through the living room. "A talk with his friend shouldn't be that long. He could've called if he was staying longer." Yami mumbled, still pacing. "I'm sure he won't do anything to him. He wouldn't become friends with him for his own gain." Aqua reassured and they soon heard something slip in through the mail slot.

Yami left to go see what it was. A piece of paper lied on the floor and he picked it up, seeing it was a note. He read it and snarled, walking back into the living room. "We have a situation, some kid took Yugi." Yami hissed and Aqua nodded.

He placed the kitten down before they left, heading to the location where Yugi was being held.

0

Yugi was knocked unconscious and hanging from the wall by some chains tied to his wrists. "Are you sure this is a good idea? Those demons will kill you if they found out what you're up to." The kid said and he cried out as he was whipped. "I'll deal with them when the time comes but you I'm getting fed up with." Hayama said and started to whip him until he was unconscious, bloody welts on his back and shoulders from the whip.

_'They will become my pets and I will make sure they submit to me.'_ he thought as he waited for them.

0

They reached the warehouse and slammed the doors in. "Where is he?!" Yami roared, looking around. They saw a form nearby and walked over to him, seeing it was a kid. Yami snarled but then saw the bloody wounds on him. "No, it can't be you." he said before seeing Yugi chained up on the wall.

"Yugi!" he cried and ran over but backed up when a whip end almost hit his face. "Now, now. You shouldn't mess with your treat so soon." A voice spoke and he growled, baring his fangs. "He is not a treat! Where are you?! Show yourself!" he hissed and Hayama came out from the shadows, smirking.

"So, it was you. How dare you take Yugi?" Aqua questioned with a growl. "Because, he was the key to bringing you two here. Now I have decided to make you two my pets. Unlike that pathetic thing over there." he said, nudging a finger over to the boy on the floor.

"You're sick." Yami hissed.

Hayama laughed and Aqua growled before making a move to attack. "Asenna-yo." he whispered and snapped the whip at him. Aqua dodged most of the hits but was slapped back by a harsh hit and crashed into a pile of boxes.

"Aqua!" Yami called before glaring at Hayama. "You will pay for this." he snarled, going after him and Hayama let loose the whip once more, making Yami wince as the whip hit his chest and he stumbled back a bit. "First time dealing with rebellious pets but I'm having fun with this. I think it's time we give the pets a treat and I'm sure you'll listen to me after this." he said before turning to Yugi. He snapped the whip at him and they gasped. "Stop it!" Yami shouted but Hayama didn't listen. The whip continued its course and flicked a button off from the shirt underneath his school jacket.

Yami snarled as he stood up. "What are you up to?" he hissed. "My last pet told me of your little wish and I'm granting it to you. Pets love their treat and I'm giving you what you two waited for." Hayama whispered as he continued to flick buttons away from his shirt until there was no more, leaving the shirt parted. Aqua hissed as he climbed out from the boxes. "He's trying to taunt us. Using our wish for Yugi's innocence to try and win us over." he snarled, standing beside him. Yami growled, looking to him.

"You will pay for this dearly, Hayama. Not only with taunting us for something we want but for taking Yugi in the first place." Yami hissed. Hayama tsked, waving a finger. "You should be grateful." Hayama said. "This is harassment to him! Especially if he doesn't know what's happening!" Aqua roared before attacking once more.

"This will stop you." he murmured as he snapped the whip at Yugi once more, snapping off the last button that held up their young charge's last defense against the other's perversion, and Aqua stopped in his attack. Yugi was now completely bare down to his underwear and more beautiful than words could describe. He shook his head, growling to himself. "Focus, focus. This is not how you want to see Yugi. Not like this…" he hissed, berating himself.

"I got this. He will pay dearly not only for doing this to Yugi but trying to make us his pets." Yami said, stepping forward. "We'll play a yami no game. If you win, we'll become your pets but if we win, your death will be upon you for this little stunt. You're just lucky we didn't finish you off earlier in fear you will hurt Yugi." Hayama laughed before nodding. "Alright then. Name your game." Hayama spoke. "We'll play a simple game." Yami murmured as he held a gem in his hand. "You have three tries to grab this from my hand. If you can't, your life is ours."

"Easy." Hayama quipped as he snapped his whip to grab the gem but Yami jumped into the air. "Strike one." He growled and flicked the whip at him again but he passed the gem to Aqua. "Strike two." Aqua called. He sneered angrily and stomped in foot in anger, knowing that he will lose the game either way.

"That's _it_! Forget the game! I'll go after your precious lover instead!" he roared, turning to Yugi and snapped the whip at him but it stopped before it could even touch him. "You lose. You tried to aim your target for another. Just like you do with the people you use as your pets." Yami snarled as he landed and grabbed him, ripping the whip from his hands.

"And since it was aimed at our koi, you deserve no mercy." he hissed as the room darkened and Hayama's scream of fear echoed throughout the warehouse.

0

Yugi woke up later on in the night, a damp rag on his forehead. He removed the rag and looked around, seeing himself back in his room and dressed in his pajamas. _'What happened? I remember that kid knocking me out but what happened after that?'_ he wondered and then saw Yami sitting in a chair beside the bed, asleep while Aqua was asleep on a bed conjured by shadows.

He smiled and crawled off the bed, moving to sit in his lap. "Yami? Koibito, wake up." Yugi whispered and Yami's eyes fluttered open before looking down to him. "Ah, Yugi. You're awake. Glad to know that." Yami said as he wrapped his arms around him.

"What happened earlier? I don't remember much except for Hayama-kun taking me to a warehouse and some kid knocking me out." Yugi said. "We dealt with him. The kid that knocked you out was being used like a pet to Hayama. He probably sent him out to learn more about us because he told us he wanted us as his new pets and brutally hurt the other with a whip.

"He tried to use you as bait to get us to listen to him but it didn't work for long." he explained, not mentioning anything about him being bared to them during that time, and Yugi huffed. "Baka Hayama. I can't believe he would do that." Yugi grumbled before looking up to him. "Thanks for taking care of him, Yami."

"Anything for you, love." Yami said, kissing his forehead before letting his tail curl around his waist comfortably. "Since Hayama's gone, what are we going to do about his kitten?" Yugi asked. "I'm sure she'll feel better being taken care of by us." Yami said and he smiled, nodding as he rested his head on his chest. They soon fell asleep like that, Yugi still smiling softly in his sleep as he listened to Yami's heartbeat that only beats for him.

0

Zypher: And I'm done with this chapter. Before you ask, Hayama was from Season Zero of Yugioh. Was able to watch epi. 3-11 from youtube and while watching them, I saw the digital pet episode and learned more about him and decided to use him and his idea of using people as pets for this chapter. Anyways, hoped you like and will be waiting for more. See you soon.

Translations:

Asenna-yo - Calm down

Yamero! Hottoite-kure-yo! - Stop it! Leave me alone!

Oyasumi - Goodnight

Ohayo gozaimasu - Good morning

Baka - Stupid


	16. Duel with Seto

Zypher: Hey hey everyone and welcome to the next chapter of Yami no Game: Death's Awakening. Glad you all enjoyed the last chapter and threw your hatred at Hayama for what he did. Gotta love the feel of beating up people for the stupid things they do. Anyways, hope you'll enjoy this one like you did the last.

0

Yami no Game: Death's Awakening

Chapter 16

0

Late at night on top of the Domino High school roof, a kid was running from two burly suits. He was cut off as he got closer to the fence and looked back, seeing them blocking his way. A figure appeared from behind them and looked to him. "Alright kid, just hand over the card and we won't have to do this the hard way." he murmured.

"But...but I can't. It's a memento of my dad's." The kid whispered. "He doesn't care and neither do I." The person said and nodded to the two men who walked over to the kid and soon beat him until he couldn't stand and the other walked over and took the card from him.

"Seto should be happy with this." The male murmured, the clouds drifting apart to reveal the ruby red sphinx in the moonlight.

0

The next morning Yugi walked into class with his friends and sat down at his desk. "So guys, do you want to learn how to play Duel Monsters cause I can help you out." Yugi said with a smile. "Sure! I would love to learn how to play this game!" Zella replied happily. "Ok then. First thing you need to know is how to summon monsters which is pretty easy but some monsters can have a field power advantage. What you need to really know is which one acts to which field." Yugi said as he brought out a field map and placed it on his desk.

Jou looked down at it and sighed. "Man, this game may not be too fun." he grumbled and Yugi looked up to him. "Why not? I think it is." he said. Honda snickered. "Probably because the game contains too much strategy and analyzing which he can't keep up with." Honda said and Jou growled, holding him up by his shirt. "That isn't true!" he growled. He then saw the sash and looked back to him, letting go of his shirt. "Hey, Honda, what's with the sash?" he questioned.

"Oh this? Well, as a member of the Student Committee, it's my duty to watch over the student populace. Rumors have been going around about guys stealing rare cards from people using inhumane methods. The game had gotten popular so quick now and it seems whoever is taking them is targeting the students." Honda explained.

"Wow, I never knew that." Yugi said, tucking his cards and field map away. Honda continued to boast about his duty, never noticing the others weren't listening to him. Soon, the bell rang and Yugi's friends took their seats just as the teacher walked in.

They did the traditional bow before sitting down. "Good morning, students. Today we have two new students coming into our class. Please welcome Seto Kaiba and Ruby Jewelstone." he said as the two walked in.

Students started to murmur to each other about them, knowing them both to be very rich and powerful people. Seto smiled as he looked to them, greeting them friendly.

"This is surprising. Having two rich students in our class." Zella said and Honda nodded in agreement as the teacher assigned their seats right next to Yugi.

They walked over, Ruby already taking his seat but Seto spotted a card sitting on the floor by Yugi's desk and picked it up. He held it up to him and he looked up in astonishment.

"Is this your card?"

Yugi nodded. "Yes, that's mine. Must've dropped it."

Seto smiled and handed it back to him. "It's no problem. You must like the game as much as I do." he said. Yugi perked up as he said that.

"Really? You like Duel Monsters?" he asked and Seto nodded.

"Sure. Ruby and I love the game." he replied and Yugi knew this was the start of a great friendship between him, Seto and Ruby.

0

After school, Yugi was talking with Seto and Ruby who invited him to come over to their house to look at their card collection. He agreed happily and soon, they were off and Yugi's friends arrived at the gate. Seeing the car drive off, they looked back to Yugi. "See you're already becoming good friends with those two. Should've known since you two share the same hobby." Zella said with a smile.

"Yeah, maybe they'll become friends with Yami and Aqua too." Yugi said and then got an idea. "Hey, why don't we all go to Seto's? Since he invited me and all, I bet you guys would like to come as well." Yami and Aqua took the time to walk up to them. "Go where, koibito?" Yugi looked to them and smiled happily, running over to wrap his arms around Yami's waist.

"Two new students came in today and they share the same interest in Duel Monsters like me. They invited me to come over to their house and I wanted to see if you two and my friends would like to go. Please say yes." Yugi pleaded, looking up to him with shimmering amethyst eyes. Yami laughed softly and pat his head. "We would love to come." Yugi smiled and nodded.

"Let's get going then before it gets late!"

0

When they arrived, they were appalled at the sheer size of it. "There should be a law to have such a house." Jou grumbled. "Don't be like that, Jou." Zella reprimanded as she and Honda arrived on his bike and Jou snickered. "Giving free taxi rides now, Honda?" Honda's face flushed and his eyes narrowed at him. "Shut up! I decided to give her a ride here since it was so far and she was walking along the same street when I was riding by!"

"Ah, Yugi. Glad you came. Please, come in." Seto's voice echoed through the speaker as the gates opened. They walked up to the door and Ruby opened it, many maids standing behind him. He smiled warmly to them as he invited them in. "Come. Seto's waiting for us." he said as he led them to where their card collection was. When they walked inside, they all, except for Yami and Aqua, were impressed by the many cards, common and rare, that they held. Seto turned to them and beamed brightly. "Glad you all could come!" he said as he walked over to them.

He then spotted that Yami and Aqua weren't interested at all by the collection._'I wonder...could they have been the ones that defeated those three sisters that night?'_

But he didn't speak his thoughts as he heard one of them ask a question about the trophies. "Oh those? They were trophies that Ruby and I won in tournaments and have been named as Duel Monster champions."

"Duel Monster champions? Wow, you two sound like you're pretty much unbeatable." Jou only snorted. "Yeah, if they wish to gloat about it." he hissed under his breath and Zella nudged him. "Shush, Jou." she whispered before looking to Seto. "Don't mind him. He's just a little hotheaded sometimes." Seto waved his hand.

"It's alright." he spoke, looking to him. _'Hmm, he doesn't look all that interested in the game. Maybe I could change that and maybe his interest in something more than Duel Monsters.'_ he thought and then turned his attention back to Yugi.

"Well, Yugi. Tell me, do you have a rare card that you could show me?" he questioned. "No. I didn't bring them with me." Yami took this time to speak up. "But his jii-chan does hold many rare cards. Maybe we can head over to his shop and see some." Yugi's eyes brighten and he nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! My jii-chan has a lot of rare cards that he sells. Maybe he can also show us the ultimate rare one that he has!" Yugi spoke happily, thanking Yami so much for the idea.

_'Ultimate rare one? Could it be?'_ he wondered and looked to Ruby who was thinking the same. He then nodded, a smile still plastered on his face. "But of course. Let's get going then." They all nodded and soon left the mansion to head over to the game shop.

0

When they reached the store, they entered inside and Sugoroku looked up to them. He gave a heartwarming grin to them all. "Ah, I see you brought your friends, Yugi. What brings you all here today?" he asked. "Jii-chan, can you show us your rare card. Pretty please?" Yugi begged.

He laughed heartily and nodded. "But of course." He reached down, digging past a few boxes of assorted things before pulling out one that was meant to hold a card and came back up to the counter. He opened it and his friends all gasped at the card the rests within the confines of the box.

"Here it is. My rarest and most treasured card. The Blue-Eyes White Dragon."

His friends all could see the value the card held, all but Seto and Ruby. "Seto, that's the card. That's the card you've been looking for." Ruby whispered. "I know." he spoke, unaware that Aqua's ears flicked back as he heard them speaking and his eyes narrowed. _'What could they be up to?'_

Seto pushed past the others and looked at the card in amazement. The one card he has searched for and he finally found it. "This is it. The one I've been looking for. You must let me have it." He put his briefcase onto the glass counter and opened it, showing them all the rare cards that could be known in existence right there. "Wow! And I thought his collection was great! He might actually have doubles of every rare card possible except for the Blue Eyes White Dragon." Jou looked down to Yugi curiously as he spoke.

"What do you mean? If he possibly have doubles of every rare card then why would he need another Blue Eyes?" he questioned. "Because," Sugoroku spoke. "Since the Blue-Eyes White Dragon is so powerful, it was known that only four copies were made of the card. Any duelist or collector would sell everything they own to possess such a card. But this copy right here is dear to me since a good friend gave it to me. No matter the price or its rarity, not even the highest bidder could claim this card from me." He then looked up to Seto.

"And not even the rarest of cards will part me from this one." Seto looked angry and closed the briefcase with a snap. "Fine. I'm sorry to have bothered you then." He then walked past them and called to Ruby who followed him out. They watched him go before Honda complimented Sugoroku on his speech, hoping that it taught them that the rarity of a card wasn't important.

0

The next day, Honda was dueling with Jou who now got himself interested in the game and Yugi stand before them, judging the game. "Alright, I'll play Zombi in attack mode." Honda said, placing the monster over the graveyard field. Jou looked at his hand and grinned at his luck. "Alright! I'll play Blackland Fire Dragon in attack mode!" he spoke, placing the 1500 attack monster onto the field. "Hah! I win!" he cheered.

"Not really." Jou looked baffled and turned to Yugi.

"What do you mean I didn't win?"

"Well, Jou. Even though your dragon has more attack points than Honda's zombie monster, he played his monster on a graveyard field which is good for undead monsters so its attack increased just enough to beat Blackland Fire Dragon." he explained and Honda cheered again as Jou sulked.

"No fair." he whined and looked up as he heard Seto walking over to them. "Yugi, hello. I was wondering, did you bring the Blue-Eyes White Dragon like I asked. I really wanted to see it again." Yugi nodded as he pulled the card from his bag. "Yeah but be extremely careful. My jii-chan wants it back just the way it was."

"Yugi, are you sure about this? I have my doubts about him and his buddy." Jou whispered.

Yugi sighed lightly and looked to him. "I know, Jou. Yami and Aqua were telling me the same but I told them to not worry too much. He and Ruby are friends and they couldn't steer me wrong." he whispered back.

Seto smiled as he looked at the card. "This is great. Thanks to that speech your jii-chan gave to me, I now admire my cards." he said, reaching into his back pocket discreetly. _'Now, all I need to do is switch this with the fake I made and it will be mine.'_

After admiring the card more, he was about to hand it back but let it slip and apologized, kneeling down to pick it up, shifting the cards while he was there but didn't know Jou and Yugi saw him switching the cards. He got back up and handed Yugi back the card. He took it, not mentioning a thing about him switching the cards so as to not rouse any suspicion.

0

After school, Yugi was walking home, gazing at the fake card with thought. Zella ran up to him and tapped his shoulder. "Hey, Yugi. Glad I found you. I was starting to wonder why you weren't with Jou and Honda." At that, he looked to her.

"Why's that?" he questioned.

"They said they were going to challenge Seto to a duel and I thought you would've gone with them."

"Really? They never told me that." Having a feeling of dread, Yugi gave a quick goodbye to Zella and ran back to school.

0

"So, why did you call me up here?" Seto questioned, looking to them.

"Enough games, Kaiba. I saw you switch Yugi's card. Now give it back." Jou growled.

"Why would you think such a thing? I would never switch Yugi's card."

Jou growled and charged in, ready to punch him but two guards appeared, holding him back. Ruby came up behind Seto and looked to him. "Glad I came in time, Seto. Don't want to mess up your face now." Ruby reprimanded with a laugh. "Oh don't worry about that. Even if you didn't come, I could take him." The two guards, by Seto's command, knocked Jou out, because he didn't want him hurt, and beat Honda until he fell unconscious from the blows. At that time as Honda fell to the ground did Yugi arrived up onto the roof and gasped at Honda's condition.

"What are you doing, Seto? Why are you hurting my friends?!"

Seto turned his gaze to him and laughed. "They are trying to say I took your card and switched it with a fake." Yugi looked up to him solemnly.

"But you did. I saw you and I thought you would give it back. You know how important that card is to jii-chan." Seto only laughed again. "Oh really. Well, Yugi, it doesn't matter anymore. I have what I want and I'm not giving it back." Yugi's eyes teared up as he ran over to him. "Seto, please. Give me the card back. I promise my jii-chan I would return it." he whispered but cried out as he was pushed back. "No matter. An old man shouldn't even have a powerful card such as this. "Loving the cards", such rubbish."

He walked off with Ruby trailing behind him and Yugi was about to run after them if one of the guards didn't pick him up by his shirt collar. "Where do you think you're going, punk?" The guard said, raising a fist in preparation to punch him. Yugi's eyes widened and he mentally called for Yami and Aqua who appeared just before the blow could be made and with a splatter and a gurgle from the guard, he dropped Yugi to the ground before falling back, large bloody claw marks upon his chest.

Yami's cerise eyes glowed with anger as he turned to the other guard who tried to run off and he soon joined the fate of the other. After the deed was done, he turned to Yugi.

"What happened, koibito?" he questioned, looking to Yugi's tearful expression as he explained what happened.

0

Seto and Ruby were about to get into the limo when they heard footsteps and turned, Ruby gasping when he saw the two demons. "Seto and Ruby, you have tried to hurt our love and you will pay the price for it." Yami hissed, eyes narrowing.

"What is this? Do you two think you can scare me with fake wings and fangs?" Seto chortled. "You think this is fake? Only if you knew, Seto Kaiba." Yami snarled eyes gleaming and blood dripping from his claws. "Why don't you take a look at this." he hissed, showing them a view of his dead guards. "Seto, I think you should believe them. I think we're about to play with magic here." Ruby started but he only laughed again.

"I told you before Ruby, there's no such thing as magic." Yami only chuckled and looked to him. "So, you think magic isn't real. Fine, I'll give you a fine example of the magic we possess. If you don't want to believe your guards are dead from the blood on my claws, then I will show you the magic and demonic strength I possess in a duel." he spoke darkly before the shadows engulfed them and they appeared in an empty classroom.

0

On the roof, Jou and Honda were waking up from the blows they took and cried out as they saw the dead guards in front of them. "What in the world happened here?" Yugi walked up to them and placed a hand on their shoulders, making them turn their gazes away from the bodies and to him. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you but let's get going. Yami and Aqua came while you two were unconscious and is confronting Seto about jii-chan's card now." They nodded and got up, heading to the game shop to at least patch up Honda's bruises.

0

Back in the classroom, Seto and Yami were now seated at a table. A field map lay before them and a deck of cards off to the side. "You must have a lot of courage to duel me. You should know that I'm a Duel Monsters champion and can't be defeated." Seto gloated.

"We will see about that."

Soon, the game started and Seto looked at his hand, agreeing to go first. "I send out Ryu Kishin in attack mode." he said, placing the card onto the field. To his surprise, the card comes to life and roared as it stood upon the field. Yami chuckled as he drew a card and looked at his hand. "Fine then. I'll send out Blackland Fire Dragon onto the field." Yami spoke as the dragon appeared and burned Ryu Kishin to ashes. Seto watched as his monster was destroyed and was more appalled as the card disappeared as well.

"What's the meaning of this?" he demanded as his life points decreased down to 1500.

"This is more than a simple duel, Kaiba. As the monster is defeated, so is the card." Yami explained, looking to him but all he saw was a satisfied grin. "I finally found it. The battle I've been looking for. You must be it. The one who defeated those witch sisters in the alley." Seto looked to them and Yami chuckled. "So, you came upon them. Yes, we defeated them in a duel. They weren't powerful enough to beat my deck and you are probably just the same."

"We'll see about that." Seto growled, drawing another card and laughed. "Ah, this shouldn't take long. I send out Battle Ox in attack mode. Just enough to beat your dragon."

The large beast warrior appeared from under the desert sand which was the field it was played on and slashed at Blackland Fire Dragon, instantly defeating it and lowering Yami's life points down to 1800. Yami tsked to himself as he took his turn, drawing Mystical Elf and placed her in defense mode. _'With her high defense, it would take him a while to defeat her.'_ he thought.

Seto took his turn, placing a card off to the side and Yami believed it to be a magic card. "Trying to prolong the duel, Kaiba?" Yami started, tsking to himself. "You shouldn't do that, especially dueling against me. I am not a very patient demon and prolonging things will not only make my win a sweet one but will give me the chance to crush you and rid you of your undefeatable title." he finished.

Seto growled as he placed Battle Ox into defense and gave the turn to Yami. He drew a card and hissed in disdain as it was Skull Servant, definitely not a card that could defeat Battle Ox. He passed the turn and Seto drew his card. He smirked and flipped over his magic card, Giant's Might.

"Let see you take him now." Seto flipped Battle Ox, who now had 2040 attack points due to Giant's Might effect, into attack mode once more and had him attack Mystical Elf who was easily destroyed. Seeing as he was at a disadvantage, he started to go on the defensive, Seto easily crushing his monsters as each turn passed.

He finally drew a card to help and grinned, showing sharp canines as he looked to him. "You won't win so easily, Kaiba. I play Summoned Skull in attack mode. Just enough to defeat your rampaging beast." The large demon roared as it collected lightning in its claws and soon shot them at Battle Ox, destroying it and decreasing his life points.

"No!"

"Yes. I told you prolonging things will make your defeat come closer." Seto growled, knowing he would lose if he didn't get rid of Summoned Skull. He pulled out the Blue-Eyes White Dragon from his pocket and placed it discreetly on the top of the deck before drawing it. "Now, to defeat you once and for all." he said, placing the card on the lake field and the large white dragon appeared from the depths of the lake, roaring in its battle cry.

Yami snarled, looking to him. "Do you really think you can win with the Blue-Eyes?" he questioned and Seto laughed. "I know I'll win. Blue-Eyes, attack!"

But the Blue-Eyes didn't do a thing, only stayed there. "What's going on?" he demanded once more. "He doesn't attack because your soul is not in the card. Jii-chan's soul is and he doesn't want his dragon to attack." Yami explained as the dragon disappeared from the field. Seto looked on in astonishment as his most powerful beast destroyed itself. _'No, this duel would've been mine.'_ he thought and looked to Yami, giving the turn to him.

He smirked and drew his card and played it. "I now use Monster Reborn to bring back the Blue-Eyes. Now I'll give this turn to you." The dragon appeared on the field on his side and roared, blue eyes looking at Seto with a great intensity and malice. "I won't lose like this." he said, drawing a card and placing it down. "I play Gremlin in attack mode on his field." he said, placing the 2000 attack point monster on the volcano field.

Soon, an earthquake started on said field and since it was a yami no game, the table that acted as their battlefield cracked as well and the game ended in a draw with no field to battle on. "We'll meet again and the next time, I won't lose." Seto said before leaving out with Ruby.

Yami watched him go before sighing. "He will never learn, will he?"

"I guess not." Aqua picked up the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. "But at least we got the card back." Yami nodded and they soon left to head back to the game shop, everything that was resulted from the yami no game gone from the classroom.

0

In the mansion, Seto was in a rage, trophies scattered across the floor. _'He was a worthy opponent but I will not be upstage but some person that considers himself a demon. I can see his magic is no joke but I know that soon, he will be defeated and I'll have my title back the way it was.'_

0

Zypher: And that's all for this chapter. Yes, if any of the info for the duel confuses you, just look on janime under the third episode for season zero and that should help a bit. Almost got myself lost too but I figured out most of it and got the rest of the duel finished. Also before you ask, the deck Yami used will technically be the deck that Aqua may use if I have him duel which he probably will in the next chapter.

I just had him use that one since I was reading the summary at the same time and didn't feel like doing a lot of searching for monster cards that would match up to the ones used in the episode. The deck that Yami uses is the one from chapter 14 which is basically a demon monster formed deck. Anyways, hoped you all liked the chapter and will be waiting for more. See you soon.


	17. First Game Master of Dolls

Zypher: Hello again and here I am with the next chapter for Yami no Game: Death's Awakening. Why, because these next four chapters are basically tied together so why not get them all done at the same time. Anyways, glad you all loved the last chapter and here the next for you all.

Note: Any cards used in any of these duels are coming from the series in general since they don't match up to any cards we have in the real Duel Monsters game unless I know of them already. Also, the field map concept is almost the same as using field cards in the original game only there would be different ones compared to those like Umi, Wasteland, Forest etc., so in any duels that I mentioned, check on janime or go to youtube and watch episode 8 of yugioh season zero to get the right information about them for this chapter since I write it as it tells me and it still confuses me a bit.

0

Yami no Game: Death's Awakening

Chapter 17

0

Kaiba sat in his room, looking out to the sunset, still remembering the duel he had with Yami. Remembering his words made him angrier. _'Cards don't have souls. They are only used to defeat your opponent.'_ he thought. He then turned away from the window, fists still clenched in anger. "I will not let him embarrass me. I will defeat him and reclaim my title. And I'll do it with the only people that could have a chance at defeating him." He looked to the four statues that sat in the corners of the room.

"The Four Game Masters."

One of the gems on a statue shone an eerie yellow, signaling the first of the four that he will have duel Yami or Aqua.

0

In London, a count was having a tea party. A doll rested in his arms as he came outside to observe the party which was nothing but mannequins. Soon, a helicopter came, the wind, blowing the mannequins away. "Who dares ruin my party?" The count murmured in disdain but soon saw the logo on the helicopter. "Kaiba-sama." he whispered and knew that him coming here means that he was needed.

0

At school, Yugi was dueling with Miho who gotten herself interested in the Duel Monsters game. Honda, Jou, and Zella watched as the duel commenced. Even Yami and Aqua were there but they were only guests. After another move, Miho's life points were down to zero. "Hey, I won!" he exclaimed happily. "You did well for your first time, Yugi. Especially using Aqua's deck." Yami said, patting Yugi's shoulder. But Miho wasn't happy about it and started to cry a bit. "But it was my first time too." she whispered softly and Honda growled.

"Yugi! How could you make her cry?!" he shouted, causing Yugi to fall out from his chair in shock. "Oh, I'm sorry." Zella placed a hand on his head. "Ah don't worry about it, Yugi. You don't need to apologize." Zella intervened. "Yes, you both have dueled to your best." Aqua responded. "But I wanted to win. It's not fair." Miho spoke and Honda continued to reprimand Yugi. "Oh come of it, Honda. You stand up for Miho too much." Honda turned to Jou, glaring. "As being part of the Student Committee, I stand up for everyone."

"Then why not stand up for both Yugi and Miho?" Yami taunted, smirking. Honda blanched, knowing he was right and pouted. They all laughed as Zella helped Yugi off the floor and soon the PA came on. "First year B class Yugi Motou. First year B class Yugi Motou, please come to the nurse's office right away." The woman's voice spoke. "Hmm, I wonder why I have to go to the nurse's office?" he wondered. "Shall we come with you, Yugi?" Yami questioned, looking down to him.

Yugi only smiled and shook his head. "It's ok. I shouldn't be long." He collected his cards and placed them into his pocket before leaving the classroom and heading to the nurse's office.

Once he was there, he knocked on the door, asking if anyone was there. "Ah, Yugi-kun. Please, come in." The nurse said and Yugi opened the door, stepping in and closing it behind him. "Is there something you need with me?" he asked.

"I have heard you are friends with a good duelist but I guess he didn't come with you." she spoke, turning to him. "Oh, well I don't know who you may be talking about, other than Kaiba-kun but he isn't here today, but I'm a good duelist as well." She smiled and nodded. "Then why don't we have a duel right now?" Yugi was appalled at the proclamation but didn't deny it and nodded and they moved to a table and sat down. Yugi placed his deck on the table as the nurse took out a field map and laid it on the table.

He started explaining the game to her but she told him she already knew the concepts of the game which surprised him but he didn't bother questioning it. They drew their five cards and she gave the first turn to him. "Alright then." He looked at his hand before picking a card. "I play Rock Gun (100/50) in attack mode." he said, placing the monster on the plain field and since it was on that field, it gets a 50 percent attack boost. She nodded and drew her card before placing one down. "I play Ghost (150/50) in attack mode and attack your Rock Gun." She placed the two cards off to the side since they are both destroyed.

Yugi watched in disappointment and watched as she placed another card on the field. "And now, I summon Chimera (800/150) in attack mode." she said, placing the card onto the Dark Forest field and waited for Yugi's next move.

He drew his card and examined his hand before smiling. "Ok, I'll play Dark Mammoth (600/300) on the forest field as well and with that, he gains a 50 percent power boost which should be enough to defeat your Chimera." he spoke happily. "Ah, but that's where you're wrong, Yugi-kun." she said and he looked to her curiously.

"Why's that?"

"Because, the Chimera is an ancient beast. With the head of a lion, the body of a goat and the tail of a snake, not only does these features make it a monster to fear but also its ability to breathe fire." she explained and Yugi gasped. She smiled at his look of astonishment and nodded. "Yes, and with that ability, it is able to burn down the forest and cancel the power boost your mammoth would've gotten and raising its own attack because of the plain field." she finished, removing the card from the field and lowering Yugi's life points down to 1700.

He took his turn and played Blackland Fire Dragon in attack mode. She knew it was a dangerous card and played Zombi (300/250) in defense mode. As the duel commenced, Yugi was losing a lot of life points while the nurse only lost a few. After a while, she play a card called Aphrodite (300/500) and Yugi was wondering why she was playing such a gentle goddess.

But he didn't bother to question it as he played Black Scorpion (800/450) in attack mode. He went to attack the monster but she told him that even though Aphrodite is a weak and gentle goddess, once combined with the magic of Umi, she could destroy his Black Scorpion.

With his monster destroyed, Yugi turned his gaze back to the nurse. "You are very good at this game." The bell rang for his next class and he quickly got up. "Sorry, but I should be going now." he made a move to get up but the nurse took his hand. "Well, as a reward for winning this duel, I'll take this card." she spoke, taking the Neon Knight from the pile. "But, that's one of my friend's good cards."

"Well, when we duel again, if you win, I'll give it back." she spoke and he nodded as he gathered the cards and nodded. "Don't worry, I'll get it back." he said before running out to see Yami and Aqua, knowing they are probably still waiting for him in his other class.

Once he was gone, the nurse turned away and her voice changes into that of a male's. "Kaiba-sama, why did you let me fight such a pathetic kid?" he asked as Seto came out from behind the curtains. The nurse was let down into a heap on the floor and a man came from his hiding spot, holding a control that showed the nurse was actually a puppet.

"I was hoping he will bring the demon. From what I determine, the boy that looks exactly like him along with a dragon are demons that always stay by his side but keep their forms hidden from others. They have showed me a game that I never witness before and I want to see if you're capable of winning again one of them in such a game that he calls a yami no game." he explained, tossing the man's treasured doll back to him.

He caught her, whispering her name lightly before turning his gaze back to him. "If that is true then I wish to see these two demons with my own eyes then."

Seto smirked and nodded. "You can count on that, Lydolyn Sheldon."

0

After school, Yugi was in a hurry to leave. Yami and Aqua chuckled at his eagerness to leave. "Yugi, you weren't planning to head over to the game center today, were you?" Yami questioned. Yugi blushed and lowered his head. "Yes. There is a new game coming in today that I really wanted to play. Jii-chan always gets angry at me because I spend all my money to play games."

Yami smiled and brought him close, kissing his cheek. "We won't get mad at you, koibito. Just try not to spend all your money on that game this time, alright?" Yugi nodded and leaned up to kiss Yami lightly before running off to head to the arcade and both Yami and Aqua headed back to the shop.

Once he reached the game center, he looked around, trying to find the game. The owner comes over to him and questions what he was looking for. "Oh yes, I'm looking for the newest game that should've came in today." The owner smiled. "But of course. Here, I'll take you to where it is. You'll be the first to play it."

Yugi, too giddy to not get suspicious of the encounter, followed the owner to the back exit of the game center. Before he could question him, he was pushed into the waiting car with the owner and was held down by him. "Hey! What's going on!" he cried, trying to free himself from the other's grip.

"Let's continue our game, Yugi-kun. I know you wish to have your friend's Neon Knight back." A voice said. He looked up, recognizing the voice as the nurse from school but only saw a man. _'But that means...'_ he thought. He laughed softly before his voice was lowered to its original tone and the fake owner spoke. "If you must know, he's one of the four Game Masters, Lydolyn Sheldon." he spoke, removing the face mask to reveal Kaiba. "Kaiba-kun, why are you doing this?" Yugi pleaded, still trying to free himself.

"Because, I want to humiliate you and your two friends. They ruined my title and I want revenge. And I will get it, in the Castle of Dolls."

"Castle of Dolls?"

Lydolyn laughed and nodded. "Yes, the Castle of Dolls. Hopefully you will also call your friends for I too wish to see their demonic power." Yugi gasped, seeing as Kaiba must've found out that day when he tried to take his Jii-chan's Blue-Eyes. _'And by the sounds of this, whatever happened deflated his ego big time.'_he thought as they continued on their way. Knowing that he probably wouldn't have a chance at winning, called for Aqua mentally, and hoping he would arrive soon.

0

Once they came to the doll's castle, Yugi was a bit creeped out since all the dolls that sat in the room seemed to be watching him. He sat down at the table where Lydolyn was waiting and prepared Aqua's deck for the duel. He and Lydolyn drew five cards and Lydolyn taunted him by using Neon Knight (1800/1200) in attack mode on the mountain field.

Yugi drew his card and looked at his hand. Seeing as he didn't have anything to defeat the Neon Knight as of now, he placed Komouri Dragon down in defense. Lydolyn chucked quietly to himself. "Now, see the power of Neon Knight. There was a reason I played him on the mountain field. Because his special ability let's him absorb thunder from the mountains." Yugi gasped and watched as his monster was defeated and then cried out for the damage his monster took affect him as well because of the castle setting, flinging him out of his seat.

He whimpered, the pain too overwhelming but then he heard a rumbling roar and smiled._'Aqua...'_ he thought. Aqua appeared in the room and snarled, looking to Lydolyn and Kaiba before turning his gaze to Yugi and ran over to him. "Are you alright, koibito?" he questioned. Yugi nodded. "I tried to beat him with your deck but I couldn't make a good strategy to counter his." Yugi whispered and Aqua stroked his head lightly. "It's alright, as long as you're unharmed." he whispered before picking him up and turned his gaze to Kaiba.

"And you. I bet you set this up just to battle one of us again." Kaiba laughed and he snorted. "Fine, if it's a battle you want then you'll get one." he said, taking Yugi's seat and letting him sit upon his lap, the younger gripping onto his shirt as he nuzzled his face into his chest. He picked up the cards that Yugi dropped and examined the hand he gotten. "Ok, I'll play Death Wolf (1200/1200) in attack mode." he said, placing the wolf out onto the forest field. The wolf howled in anger as it stood beside its master.

"And I'll also play Shadowman." he said, placing the other card onto the field and gave the turn to Lydolyn. "You should know that a monster of darkness cannot withstand Neon Knight's attacks." He drew his card and then place one down.

"I send out King Beetle (1400/1000) in attack mode. With it, your two monsters will be defeated easily." King Beetle started to attack but Aqua only laughed. "Do you really think so? Shadowman's sword isn't use for battle, but instead to activate his special ability." As he said this, Shadowman stuck his sword in the ground and soon the room was covered in darkness.

"What...what is this!" Lydolyn exclaimed as the field darkened more until all he could see what the gleaming crimson of Aqua's eyes. "Your two monsters cannot see in the darkness but my Death Wolf is strong in darkness." he spoke. Lydolyn heard Death Wolf howling and soon heard his Neon Knight crying out in agony as Death Wolf bit down on his shoulder. The monster fell to the ground, defeated and Death Wolf ran off. Lydolyn commanded King Beetle to attack it as it ran off but it flames missed the monster.

"You are too careless and so is your monster." Death Wolf appeared once more and bit down on the large horn of the beetle but was struggling to defeat it. Aqua's eyes widened and growled. "What's wrong?! Tear it apart!" Death Wolf struggled more but soon broke its horn off, defeating it and it howled in victory. "You won't win. I will not let you go unpunished for hurting him." he hissed, stroking Yugi's back with his free hand.

Lydolyn growled and placed Ryu Kishin onto the field, commanding it to attack. Aqua snarled and placed down Knight Soldier to block the attack and to fight back but it was soon destroyed. "How is this possible? A sword could never be ineffective against Ryu Kishin." he hissed. _'There has to be something else. Something I'm not seeing.'_ he thought and then he finally figured it out.

_'That's it! It's a territory of dolls. His monsters are nothing but dolls.'_ Lydolyn continued to watch him, wondering what is taking him so long to make a move. "Hurry up!"

Kaiba's eyes narrowed, a grin gracing his face. "Yes, hurry up and admit defeat." he whispered.

Aqua grinned, sharp canines gleaming in the darkness. "I have you now." He said, drawing a card and then placing one on the field. "I'll play this magic card onto Death Wolf. Now my wolf, Roar." Death Wolf howled and it soon became like a siren, causing his monster to recoil. "No! I will not let you win like this!" He said, drawing a card. "I use Salamandra (1000/900) to burn everything!" he shouted but Aqua only laughed again. "Not even he can destroy my wolf. You lose, Sheldon, and nothing can come back to destroy my wolf."

Death Wolf's cry continued to echo throughout the field, soon causing Lydolyn's monsters to crack and shatter into pieces.

"NO!" he cried, flying back from the blow his monsters took. "Game Over." he hissed and soon, he and Yugi were gone after taking his Neon Knight back and pocketing his deck. Kaiba growled, hating the fact he failed again. "I will defeat you. Somehow, you and the other will be defeated by me." he growled before stomping out, not minding Lydolyn. The older man sighed as he got back up, picking up the ruined doll and held it close as he left out.

He walked down the street in the rain, speaking to the doll quietly as Kaiba watched him from the window.

0

The next day, Miho once again sighed as she lost against Yugi again. "Oh, just one more game. If I lose this time, I'll give you a kiss." she said and he blushed hotly. "Sorry, Miho, but he is only reserved for us." Yami said, wrapping his arms around his shoulders. Yugi blushed even more but smiled up to him. "But of course. But I bet Jou and Honda won't mind taking my place." he whispered, getting up and soon, both boys jumped for the seat, fighting with one another for the chance to duel Miho.

The others laughed softly as they watched the spectacle, glad that everything was back to normal but Yami and Aqua knew that Seto will soon make a comeback to try and defeat them.

And they will be ready for anything he tries to throw at them.

0

Zypher: And that's the end for that chapter. I can tell you now that these chapter will be turning out eventful as they go and as a teaser, they will be leading up to the Death-T section which means a lot more danger for Yugi, his two lovers and his friends. Well, as always, hoped you all like the chapter and will be patiently waiting for the next which I will start working on soon. And don't worry for those expecting the Seto/Jou relationship. I'll get working on fitting that into one of these chapters soon enough -smiles-. See you soon.


	18. Second Game Master of Luck

Zypher: Hello everybody and welcome to another chapter of our favorite story. Glad you all are enjoying it and just like Darkwolf, this story is getting close to its 100th review so whoever catches it can ask me for anything they would like such as a nice one-shot of your own plot or adding a character of your own creation into the story. Just say the word and I'll get on it. But either way, thanks for the reviews for the last chapter and I hope you'll enjoy this one.

0

Yami no Game: Death's Awakening

Chapter 18

0

Bright lights and loud music filled the stage as the new and most popular game show, Big Money Game, commenced. The announcer introduced the challenger and the all-time champion, Fuha Ryuuichi. The game that they were playing, since the game the challenger and champion always changes, was a roulette game.

The announcer turned to them, smiling. "Well, this game should be simple. Each of you has a button and you need to press it in order to get the highest number on the roulette wheel." he explained, pointing to the wheel just off to the side that held 36 numbers total. The challenger went for, hitting the button on his panel and his mark landed on 35.

_'This kid may be champion but there's no way how he could actually hit 36. That's money's in the bag for me.'_ The challenger thought with glee. Fuha smirked, closing his eyes and waited just a few seconds before pressing the button and it landed on 36, shocking the challenger and getting cheers from the crowd. "And we have our winner! Congratulations, Fuha Ryuuichi!" The announcer said and he smirked, knowing that his luck will never run out.

0

The next day at school, Jou was excitedly talking about last night's game with his friends. "That guy's good, I can tell you that. Every time he plays, the amount of money raises higher and higher." Yugi nodded. "Yeah. I bet anyone would love to have that much money but that Fuha guy wins ever game no matter what. He's real lucky."

Jou sighed as he slumped in his seat. "Man, if only I could get into a game like that. That money could help me with so much." His friends knew what he was talking about and wished many times that he could one day get the money to support himself and pay off his father's debts for a good, long time.

Soon, the class started and the teacher declared that a new student was joining them. "Another? I thought it would be it for a while after that lying jerk Kaiba and his little buddy." Jou hissed but then shut his mouth when he saw just who walked in.

"It can't be…"

"But it is…"

"Fuha Ryuuichi…

The teacher settled them down, knowing that the new student was indeed a very well-known person and it being a shock for him to be joining Domino High school out of all places. "Hello all. I bet you all know me from the popular game show, Big Money Game. Well, I guess I can say that I might have a fun year here with all the admirers I'll have hounding me." he spoke with a laugh and Aqua snorted under his breath. Before the teacher could point out his seat, he threw his schoolbag strategically on a desk right next to Yugi's. It landed perfectly and that got some reaction from the class and he soaked in the cheers.

The teacher told him that only he could assign his seat and then Fuha challenged him to a game. Pulling out a coin from his pocket, he told the teacher of the rules, saying that if he won, he could sit anywhere he liked and if he lost, he can assign his seat. Easily, Fuha won and went to take his seat, leaving the teacher baffled.

"Luck is always on my side." he spoke and many students agreed.

"I say he's a big showoff." Aqua murmured. "Shush, Aqua. Don't say that. He's new here and even despite his popularity, he doesn't need any negative things being said about him." Yugi reprimanded and Aqua sighed before nodding, apologizing to the younger. After Fuha took his seat, the class started.

0

During break, some students crowded around Fuha's desk, asking questions about his luck. With the attention he was getting, he started to boast about his luck once more. As he was talking, a student ran in, telling them that the teacher was going to give them a math quiz when he came back and they all returned to their seats, taking out their textbooks to study. Yugi started to worry as he continued to look over his notes in his textbook, feeling that he won't be able to finished reviewing everything he needed in the short time they had.

Fuha looked to him before reaching over, flipping a few pages in Yugi's textbook and pointing them out. "Read these. My luck tells me those test questions are based off the stuff on these pages." he said and Yugi nodded, studying the pages until the teacher came back in and handed out the quiz once everyone placed their textbooks away. When Yugi looked at it, he was in shock to notice that all the questions were on the stuff he looked over and soon got done with the quiz in a few minutes ahead of everyone else.

But when they turned in their quizzes, Fuha turned in a blank one. And when the teacher questioned why, he told him he focused on his luck, not on a quiz.

0

After school, Yugi and his friends were leaving out of school when they saw Miho trying to follow Fuha and he looked annoyed by it. Jou watched him, a serious glint in his eyes. Honda looked to him, wondering why he was so quiet and saw the glint but didn't mention anything about it. Fuha looked to them and smiled.

"Hey! How about this, I'm offering to take you guys out for a bite to eat. I know the perfect Chinese restaurant." Aqua snorted again. "Sorry, Fuha, but we all have more important-" Yugi cut him off with a nudge to his side and looked back to Fuha.

"Sorry about his attitude. He has a hard time trusting new people but we would be honored to go." Yugi responded while Aqua was rubbing his side lightly. Fuha nodded and led them to a very expensive Chinese restaurant. "Isn't this place a little expensive?" Honda questioned. "Don't worry. Just come on in." They all walked in and soon, the entrance was erupted in colorful confetti and noisemakers. The manager came up and congratulated Fuha for being the 10,000th customer they had so they all received a free meal.

Everybody was shocked at his fortune but did enjoy the meal they were given. Jou continued to watch Fuha seriously and Honda looked back to him. _'Glad to see he isn't pleased by his show-offy behavior. Hopefully he will make a comeback at him.'_ he thought.

After they ate, they received two special tickets to play a special game at any store and he took up on that, challenging Yugi to a game. "Great." Fuha said, looking around before spotting a game that he wanted to play. It was a simple roulette ball game and it said on a poster behind the vendor that whoever could find the gold ball will win a trip to Italy. Fuha told him of the rules and motioned for Yugi to go first. Aqua walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Yugi, you shouldn't do it. With that luck he has, he might win and I don't want to see you following his every word."

Yugi reached up and stroked his cheek. "I know you don't, Aqua, but he can't be lucky all the time."

Aqua sighed and nodded before letting him go to play the game and he did so after handing his ticket to the vendor. He turned the handle but he didn't get the gold ball and was given a napkin as a consolation prize.

He sighed lightly and walked back over to Yami who wrapped an arm around his shoulder. Fuha took his turn and was able to get the gold ball and the vendor handed him the plane ticket for Italy. Once again, he had them in awe at his luck. "This is getting ridiculous." Aqua murmured.

Honda looked over to Jou and saw him clenching his fists. _'Sweet! He's finally going to put him in his place.'_Honda thought. Jou walked over to Fuha and looked to him before kneeling down before him. "Fuha! You must teach me your ways! I need to know how you could get such fortune!" Jou pleaded and Honda slapped his forehead in pity.

Fuha didn't pay any attention to him and looked to Yugi. "Well, Yugi, I won and you lost. Remember our little wager." Fuha said and he nodded. Soon, he left and Jou went to follow him.

As Fuha walked along the street, he saw some children that were running across the street, knowing him quite well from the show. But a truck was coming and they quickly jumped out the way to avoid being hit. Fuha reached down to help them up but as the kid reached out to him, he pulled his hand back. _'I shouldn't even bother. They might give me their bad luck and I don't need that.'_ he thought and continued to walk off. Jou was appalled at this and ran over, kneeling down beside the children and helping them.

0

As he was close to home, he saw a car parked in front of his house. The window rolled down to reveal a man. "Are you Fuha Ryuuichi?" he asked and he nodded. "Master Kaiba has summoned you." he said and he nodded as he got into the car and they were on their way to Kaiba Corp.

0

Once he was in his office, Kaiba turned to him. "So, how's it going?" he questioned. "I did as you said and transferred to Domino High. I challenged the kid to a game and he lost and now he has to follow any instructions I give him. Are you sure this will get those demons to show?" he asked.

"I'm sure of it. Every time Yugi is put into danger, they will come. It's simple as that and with your luck, I'm sure that you will win against them if they don't try anything. They both seem to have luck with getting out of even the toughest situation." Kaiba explained.

"Luck? They couldn't have better luck than me." he started, walking over to Kaiba's safe and pulling out a gun, loading five bullets inside. He spun the barrel and place it near his head, pulling the trigger but it was a blank slot and grinned. "And I'll prove that to you by winning against them both." Kaiba nodded. "See to it that you do."

0

Later in the day, Honda, Aqua, Jou, Miho, Yami and Zella were at a restaurant, still discussing about Fuha's luck. "Hey, does anyone know where Yugi is? I know he wouldn't be this late." Jou said. Aqua snorted in anger. "That Fuha kid came over and got him, saying that he wants to play another game against him so he wasn't able to come." Aqua explained and Jou gasped, getting up. "He may be in trouble then!" he exclaimed and Yami got up. "Are you sure about this?" he hissed and he nodded.

"Come on, then! We need to find him!"

0

In another area, Fuha was smacking Yugi around using pool balls. He already explained the rules to him, whoever could hit the other in the face most with the pool balls wins the game and so far, Fuha was winning. Yugi wiped his chin free of blood and glared up at him. "This isn't a game, Fuha." he opposed. "Either way, Yugi, you agreed to the terms of that deal from the last game and this is what you got yourself into." Fuha said, stacking the pool balls onto each other and positioned the cue ball for another hit.

He pretty much slammed the cue ball into the little pyramid made up from the others and they hit Yugi's face harshly, knocking him back. Jou and the others made it inside after Yami tracked Yugi with the puzzle and were appalled at Yugi's condition. "You're going to pay for this!" Aqua roared, jumping onto the table but before he could make a move to hit Fuha, his foot went through the surface of the pool table easily, causing him to fall forward and land beside Fuha. Honda looked around and grabs a mop from nearby, ready to swing it at him but it caught the light above him and pulled it down, making it land on top of him.

Fuha laughs at their attempts before walking out. "You guys should know, no one can beat my luck." Fuha said as he walked out. Yami didn't bother to grab him but instead, focused his attention onto Yugi. He ran over and picked him up gently, growling as he saw the bruises now oozing with blood. Yugi whimpered in pain, looking up to him. "I'm sorry, love..." he whispered and Yami shushed him. "It's ok. We'll deal with him soon. Right now, we need to care for these wounds." Yugi nodded and laid his head gently upon his chest.

Aqua got up from the floor as did Honda and walked over to them. "Ok, it will take us a long time to get home by walking and Yugi need to be looked after quickly so keep still and don't scream your heads off." Aqua said and they nodded. Soon, the shadows moved away from the walls and engulfed them, getting a scared yelp from Honda as they were transported back to Yugi's room in the game shop.

Once they were there, Honda would've questioned how they could do that but didn't bother to since they now had their attention on Yugi. Aqua fetched the first aid kit and Yugi hissed in pain as the rubbing alcohol was rubbed over his wounds. As Yami was placing bandages over the now cleaned but still open wounds, Honda saw an envelope on Yugi's desk. "Hey, what's this?" he said, picking it up. "It's addressed to you, Yugi."

Yugi looked up and took the envelope when it was handed to him and opened it. "It's an invitation."

"What's it for?"

"For a spot on the Big Money Game show."

"Must be Fuha's doing." They all nodded to this and then Jou spoke up.

"Yugi, let me take your place." Yugi looked over to Jou.

"Are you sure?" He nodded. "Yugi, you and everyone else in here knows this is a dream I've wanted for so long. To be able to win that money would help me so much." he spoke and Yugi nodded. "But of course. We know how important this can be to you. We'll be in the audience watching." Yugi said and he smiled, thanking him. All of Yugi's friends forgotten about the method that brought them to his room and both Yami and Aqua were glad they didn't remember.

They really didn't feel like explaining why they were demons to them as of yet.

0

At the show, Jou was going up against Fuha and was determined to make sure he loses. "Welcome everyone to another great day of the Big Money Game Show!" the announcer proclaimed and the crowd cheered. "Once again, a new challenger has stepped up to go against our current champion, Fuha Ryuuichi! Please welcome, Yugi Motou!" People cheered once again and Fuha wondered to himself why Jou took Yugi's place but didn't care much, he was champion in this game and he was planning to keep that title.

"Today's game will be a matching game. Each player will have to pick two letters from the board and match up the numbers. If you do, you can have another go until you match up two incorrect numbers. If you flip over a joker, the game is over." the announcer explained and they nodded.

The first turn went to Jou and he picked A and K which was 3 and 5. The turn now went to Fuha and he picked A and C which were both matching cards. As the rules pertain, Fuha was given another go and he kept going as he continued to match card after card. With each right match-up, Jou was shocked with a little current of electricity from his seat as punishment for each correct answer made by Fuha. Soon, he lost and was feeling weak. Yugi and the others ran over as the announcer proclaimed Fuha the winner once more.

"Are you alright, Jou?" Yugi questioned. "I'm alright, just feeling weak." he replied. They nodded and Aqua helped him back to the competitor's room. He let him sit down in a chair and he relaxed, glad to recover a little from all the shock he was getting from the game. Soon they heard the door open and Yami growled lowly.

"What do you want, Fuha?" Zella demanded, tail flicking side to side and ears folded back in anger. "Why, to congratulate 'Yugi' on his game. I wasn't expecting you, Jounouchi, but I guess people like you would do anything for money." Fuha barked.

"Leave him alone. He doesn't need your ridicule." Zella hissed. Jou tried to get up in order to retort but his health was still in bad shape and he fell forward, Honda making a move to grab him before he could hit the ground. Fuha continued to ridicule him until Yugi felt that it was enough. He stepped forward, glaring up at him. "That's enough, Fuha. Stop it and leave us alone." He only laughed and with a swift kick, knocked Yugi down and stepped down on the side of his head, gaining growls from Yami and Aqua.

"Yugi!" Honda, Jou, Miho and Zella called. _'That's it. I had enough of him. This time, his luck won't save him from my wrath.'_ Yami thought venomously as the room grew dark. Jou, Honda, Zella and Miho fell into a dreamless sleep while Yugi whimpered in pain. Fuha looked over to them and saw the power emanating from them in waves. Their forms shifted and before he could speak, he was flung away by a tendril of shadows and another tendril moved to pick up Yugi. It brought him over to Aqua who took him gently into his arms.

_"You have angered us for the last time, Fuha. You have hurt Yugi and tried to get others hurt in the process. Now we shall play a game and see if you luck can really save you."_ Yami snarled and soon, the room darkened and they soon were on the Big Money Game stage, taking their places as champion and challenger while they faced an empty audience.

_"This should be familiar, Fuha. The same game you played with our dear friend Jounouchi. Only the rules are changed. We each get a turn, no matter whether we find the right pair or not and for every wrong pair, you will get shocked by electricity but stronger than the one from the game."_

Fuha nodded and the first turn was given to him. He chose C and H which was 3-3 correctly. It was Yami's turn and he chose F and I which was 5-2. As a result, he was shocked but the electricity but shook it off. _'It can't be. That had to be more volts than the ones used in today's game. Kaiba wasn't kidding about their powers but as of right now, their luck isn't showing.'_ he thought as he chose another pair which was correct again. Many turns passed and while Yami continued to choose F-I, Fuha got all the pairs right without finding the joker.

Yugi looked up and saw him getting shocked. "Yami, please, stop hurting yourself." he pleaded and Yami turned to him. "It's ok, chibi koibito. These shocks barely harm me." he responded. Soon, the lights went off for a few seconds before coming back on and all the tiles were flipped back over. "Seems we have to start our game again Fuha."

"Fine by me." he responded and flipped out the G tile which was 5. Remembering the tiles that Yami flipped over, he chose F but was shocked when he saw what was hidden underneath.

It was a joker.

_"You lose, Fuha, and your luck has run_**_out_**_."_ he hissed and he screamed in pain as he was shocked by electricity. Once he was unconscious, Yami walked over, snarling breathlessly and hunger gleaming in his eyes. "It has been a while since I had a good meal and you'll do well." he hissed. Yugi calling his name stopped him and he turned back to him.

"Don't kill him, Yami. The electricity was punishment enough." Yugi whispered, Aqua placing him down when he asked. "He deserves to be ripped asunder while he's still breathing. He hurt you and I'm going to make him feel the pain you felt tenfold." He raised his hand, claws extended and would've ripped him apart if he didn't felt Yugi wrap his arms around him.

"Don't do it, koi. Please. I know you wish to kill him because he hurt me but remember, you didn't sacrifice Sheldon's life when he hurt me, nor did you do the same to Kaiba when he injured me or my friends. Spare him, Yami. Please spare him." Yugi whispered, kissing his cheek. Yami looked to Fuha before snorting and wrapped his tail around Yugi's waist, lowering his arm and placing his hand onto Yugi's head, stroking the soft strands lightly.

"Fine, just for you, I will spare him but the next person to hurt you will die."

0

The next day at the Game Shop, everyone was watching the Big Money Game. Fuha, still champion, was playing a roulette game against the challenger. When the challenger got a high number, he surprisingly got a low number and was stripped of his champion title. _'And with it goes his luck and fortune.'_ Yugi thought and curled up more into Yami's arms.

0

Kaiba watched the game as well and tsked. _'Had so much luck and yet lost it so quickly. I'm glad he did since he got Jounouchi hurt from the last game. Look like the Game Masters aren't even much of a challenge to them. But I won't give up. Soon, Kaiba Land and Death-T will be ready and when those demons go in, I'll make sure they don't come back out.'_ He turned off the TV and got up, leaving out of his office.

Not far away, a red dragon flew towards the Game Shop, finding it time to introduce herself to Yugi and the others.

0

Zypher: And that's all for this chapter. Yep, Kaiba's not giving up until he regains his title and have Jou's heart but as you can see, both plans aren't working out well. Meh, I'll at least let him get Jou's heart, once he changes his attitude -big grin- but for now, evil Kaiba will rein his unholy terror! -laughs evilly and coughs- And as a little hint for future chapters, so will Mokuba but both won't be like that after a good while, most likely after Death-T they'll become reasonable again like they should be. Anywhosit, thanks for reading the chapter and I'll see you later.


	19. Third Game Master of Strategy

Zypher: And once again, here we are with another chapter to one of my most progressing stories. Glad you all loved the last chapter so I hope you will enjoy this one.

0

Yami no Game: Death's Awakening

Chapter 19

0

A few weeks later at the airport, the top model, Ailean Rao, was visiting Japan for personal business. Many reporters were already there, trying to interview her and ask questions about why she left the fashion show in Paris for this important reason. She didn't bother to answer the questions and instead enter the car that belonged to her good friend and left the airport. As they left, a reporter notices the car to be that of the famous soccer player named Heda.

"Thanks for picking me up, Heda. Do you mind taking me somewhere?" she asked.

"I'll do that if you'll go out on a date with me." he said, looking to her. She refused the invitation since she had something more important to do, to play a game against someone. "Play a game? I can do that. I'll be your opponent if you wish." he told her. "I can play any game. Chess. Poker. You name it." he continued as he changed direction and drove to his condominium.

"Ok, if you are sure. Then I will go against you in a game of Rijinhai which is similar to a chess game." she said and he nodded. Once they were there, they left out the car and went inside. Ailean set up the board and pieces and sat down along with Heda.

"Ok and if I win, I want to take you out on a date."

"Fine by me and if I win, you will lose the most important thing to you."

He agreed and soon the game started.

0

The game was easily won by her and she left Heda to head to the Kaiba mansion. Once she was there, she headed up to Kaiba's room and he was there, waiting for her while watching out the window. "Why were you late, Ailean?" he questioned softly, his back still turned to her. "I had to play a boring game with a stupid guy." she responded. "You mean him." he said, turning the TV on which showed a report about Heda who was now in the hospital because of a serious injury. The reporter also spoke of her visiting last night at the airport.

"That's nothing interesting." she spoke, looking to him. "Oh, but it is. I have something I wish to show you." he said, now holding a tape in his hand that showed Aqua's duel with the first game master and placed it in the VCR. It was blank for a second before the picture showed, starting from the beginning of the duel when Yugi was up against Sheldon. "You must be kidding me. You want me to go against him?" she questioned.

"No, keep watching." he said and she turned her gaze back to the TV and gasped when she saw Aqua appear from thin air and help Yugi before continuing the duel and defeating Sheldon easily. She wasn't shocked because of his skill but of his demonic features and the love he held for Yugi. "So, this is the one you want me to go against?" Ailean spoke softly, still in awe.

"Yes, him or the one that looks like Yugi here. They normally show when someone puts Yugi into danger but I'm sure they will also do the same if one of Yugi's friends are put into danger as well but I want you to avoid the one called Jounouchi. I have some interest for him and I deal with him when I get the chance."

She nodded, now feeling a bit excited about her new opponents. _'If they are tough as he says, this will prove to be a challenge.'_

0

The next day, Zella was talking animatedly about her new Ailean Rao aerobic video. Yugi, Yami and Aqua listened as she talked before Yugi spoke up. "How famous is she, Zella?" he questioned. "She's very famous! She's known as one of the world top models!" she said happily. "She is also and very great dancer and I admire her abilities!"

"Wow, she must be great like you said." he spoke before looking up to Yami. "I can bet if Anzu was still here, she would be almost like Zella and brag about her excellent dance skills." Yugi whispered. Yami snorted. "Don't worry about that wench, she's gone and I'm glad she is. I despise her mostly for the way she treated you when you tried to help her when her pet was taken." Yugi looked at them suspiciously. "You and Aqua don't happen to be the reason why she's gone so mysteriously." Yugi spoke.

Yami flinched and looked down before nodding. "Yes, with Dae Raca's help, we took her flesh and soul and that what gave us our forms." he whispered. Without catching Zella's attention, Yugi walked behind the counter and stood by Yami's side. His eyes were shadowed over by goldenrod bangs and Yugi lifted his head to face him.

"Yami, don't be sad. Then, I probably would've thought it was wrong for you two to do that but I don't care now. If someone like her granted you enough power to gain your forms, I could care less of the consequences for her. She was mean and I rather have her out of my life then to have her still living and having more chances to mess with me just because I wanted to help." Yugi said, stroking his cheek and he smiled.

Yami smiled as well and leaned down to kiss him. It was short but it always means a lot to Yugi. "Hey, are you three paying attention to me!" Zella cried. Yugi smiled, wrapping his arms around Yami's neck and nodding. "Of course, Zella! We're paying attention." he said. While she was still talking, someone came into the store and Aqua looked over to her and noticed she looked to be smart. _'Very smart. Wonder why she could be here?'_ he thought. She walked over to Zella and looked to her video before singing her name out on it and Zella gasped when she realized who it was.

"Oh my god! It's you! It's really you! Ailean Rao!" she squealed with happiness. Ailean smiled softly and nodded. "Yes, it's me. Ailean Rao." she confirmed before walking over to the counter.

She looked to Aqua and asked for his suggestion on a game that used strategy, not luck, which they might sell in their shop. "There's so many of those Ms. Rao but for us, that's a pretty difficult purchase order." he responded. She nodded and then looked to Yugi. "And what about you, what's your favorite game?" she asked. "Well, I like all games really." he said.

Getting rid of her shock, Zella bounded over to Ailean, eyes shining. "Oh, Ms. Rao," she started but Ailean told her to call her by her first name. "Ok, Ailean! But really, I am one of you biggest fans!" she said, almost looking like she was ready to jump up and down happily. She laughed softly and looked back to Yugi. "Well, she is a happy girl. She wouldn't happen to be your friend? Perhaps more?" she questioned and Yugi blushed.

"Oh no, we're just friends. These two here are my one and only." Yugi said, moving an arm to wrap around Aqua's neck and brought him close, making him laugh softly as he nuzzled the younger. "More like your two and only, little koi." he whispered and Yugi laughed. "I can see." she said, smiling still. _'I still wonder, how could he have such demons as those two as his lovers? It's pretty much impossible for supernatural creatures to show and yet he proves that with them.'_ she thought before taking a card from her pocket and handed it to Zella.

"Well, how about this, I invite you four to come to my home today. It would be a pleasure to have such guests like you four to come over." Ailean spoke. "Really?! You mean it!" Zella exclaimed. Ailean nodded and Zella whooped in joy, dancing around the game shop happily. Ailean started to walk off and then looked back to Yugi.

"And if you don't mind, don't forget to bring games so we could play some." she said and Yugi nodded. She soon left and Zella started begging Yugi if they could go now and he agreed before Zella went insane with the luck she gotten in not only meeting Ailean in person but being invited to her home.

0

Later, Zella, Yugi, Yami and Aqua arrived at Ailean's condominium. Zella was dressed very beautifully and held a bouquet in hand. Yami and Aqua kept a hold the games that Yugi wanted to bring. They walked inside when Ailean opened the door and headed to her room. When they were inside, Yugi was in awe with many of the ancient Indian culture things she had in her room. Zella already knew that Ailean was Canadian-Indian so she knew that she would have many things from the Indian culture that she was a part of.

Yami and Aqua placed the games on the table and Yugi introduce Ailean to them that she never heard before. "Such wonderful games you have, Yugi, and I can't wait to play them but first I want to teach you something, Zella." she said, looking to Zella who was now hopping up and down.

"My god! Really?! I feel like the luckiest girl in Japan!" she said as Ailean led Zella out to her dancing room, telling Yugi to set up the puzzle for when she got back. While he was doing so, Yami and Aqua went to examine the artifacts, not knowing what they were getting themselves into.

When they were in the dancing room, Ailean was giving some instructions to Zella and when she was in position, Ailean spelled her to stop posture and movement and left her there, coming back into the room and closing the door, locking it behind her with a key. Yami heard the faint click of the door being locked and turned to her. "Alright, enough games." she said stepping forward. His eyes narrowed and called Yugi to his side and confused, walked over and he placed a hand onto his arm. "What's wrong, Yami?" he asked.

"Something's wrong about her now. Who are you really?" Yami hissed. "I'm Ailean Rao, one of the four Game Master that Kaiba hired to defeat you two and I challenge one of you to a game and if you lose, you will lose something important to you." she explained. Yami growled and Yugi looked out the window that showed the dancing room and saw something gleaming from the wall. He looked closer and gasped. "There's a tiger in there! If you lose, she will have the tiger attack Zella!" Yugi cried and Aqua snarled.

"A low trick, just like all the other Game Masters. Kaiba will pay for this soon enough."

"Well, will you play my game?"

"Yes, to save Zella." Aqua said, stepping forward. "Good. We'll be playing Rijinhai. Allow me to explain the rules to you." she said, taking the box that held the game and pulled out the pieces. "There are ten pieces in all. 2 Soldiers, 2 Knights, 2 Elephants, 1 King, 1 Queen, 1 Warlord and 1 Lightning God, Indra.

"The Soldier is the lowest level while the King is the highest. The Queen can beat a King, Knights beats Soldiers, Elephants beats Knights and Soldiers and Warlords can beat Soldiers, Elephants and Knights. The Lightning God, Indra can beat all but can only be used for one turn.

"What you'll have to do is place a piece onto the board and a screen will be up so you can't see the piece the other plays. When it goes down, whoever wins can keep their piece to be used again while the other is removed from play. There are many ways to win this game but I will use the simple rule." she explained. "And what's the simple rule to winning this game?" Aqua questioned. "That would be to see who can knock out the other's king first." she said and he nodded and they soon started the game.

Once the screen was up, Ailean placed an Elephant piece onto the board, admiring Aqua's ability to not show any emotion which could possibly let her know of which piece he placed down. "You are very good at not showing any emotion but I'm going to make a guess and bet you placed down a Knight." she said and when the screen went down, she was indeed right and he removed his knight from the board.

She then asks him is he wonders anything about her trick. "Just continue the game, Ailean." he spoke, eyes narrowed as the screen went back up and they place their pieces on the board. The screen opened again and while Aqua's chessman was a Warlord, hers was a King. _'Hmm, why did she play her King so early in the game?'_ he wondered as he removed his Warlord from play. "Hopefully you aren't thinking that I'm cheating just because this is my room and my game." she spoke. "You must think I can read your mind."

"If you were truly cheating, our powers would've notice and you would probably be dead unless Yugi begs for your safety. We are merciless in our games but his wish is what we grant so if he wishes for you to be alive, we will grant him that wish." Aqua hissed as he place another piece onto the board. She placed a Queen onto the board but then thought about it and changed her mind, placing a King instead. When the screen opened, it revealed Aqua's Knight and her King. Aqua removed the piece without a word as the screen closed again.

_'I wonder, could she be commanding me to place down these pieces like she wants?'_ He places a Queen down while she placed a Knight. She removed her Knight once the screen opened, revealing the pieces and once it closed again, they placed their next pieces up. _'If I want to win, I must end this at an even.'_ he thought, placing his King and she did the same. When the screen opened, it revealed both pieces making them both remove the pieces and end the game. "Hmm, with this rule, it will be hard to determine a winner. So why don't we up the stakes now.

"If our Kings meet each other again, whoever has the most pieces remaining, excluding Indra and the Queen, will win. And to make this a little interesting, as you know of my tiger back there, for each chess piece you lose, that door will open little by little so if you lose, your friend will be dead." she said and Aqua snarled. Yugi gasped and buried his face into Yami's arm. "Please Aqua, don't let her die. Please don't let her die." Yugi whimpered. "Don't worry. She won't, little one. I won't let her."

Yugi lifted his head and looked to her. "Why? Why did you have to threaten lives?" he asked softly. "Because, I wanted to see this demonic power they held. Not only that but in the past, Rijinhai always put his life on death and dignity as well." she explained and he only turned his head back to Yami, burying his face back into his shirt sleeve.

The next game started and Ailean placed a King down while Aqua placed a Warlord, causing him to lose the turn. The door holding the tiger opened a little and it stuck a paw out, trying to claw its way from behind the door. _'Why did she have to put Zella in danger? She didn't have to since we would not back down a challenge from a Game Master. Kaiba thinks they can win against us but they never will. She must have a reason for doing this.'_ he thought as the screen closed again and he got ready to set the next piece.

Little did he know, the more he worried, the more Ailean can read his thoughts. _'That's it, time to start playing this game my way.'_ he thought once more and closed his eyes, choosing his piece and placing it on the board. Ailean placed her piece on the board and Aqua looked to her with piercing crimson eyes. "And I'm going to guess you placed down an elephant, didn't you?" he said and she was shocked to know he was right.

"I can understand your technique, Ailean. Remember at the shop when you said you liked games of strategy, not luck. Rijinhai is a game of strategy and possibility. So you conduct the opponent's thoughts by giving them a condition to follow. With that, that's how you can read the other's thoughts. You tried the same idea with me by placing Zella in a dangerous situation so you can read how I feel and somehow figure out my chessman." he explained and she knew that he figured out her strategy and may somehow countered it, amazed he figured it out so soon.

The screen opened and like he said, her chessman was an Elephant while his was a Knight, Even though he lost, he knew what she was doing now. "Even if you do know my strategy, you still won't be able to win." she said as the door outside rose out a little more, the growling and snarling of the tiger being heard now and Yugi flinched, gripping Yami's sleeve more and he soothed him by rubbing his back. "Oh really? Do you think so? I'm using luck instead of strategy so there's a 1 in 8 chance that I will choose my King. You're using your strategy along with the possibility of my choice." Aqua said.

She sneered and the screen closed again and she put out Indra while Aqua chose his Soldier. The screen opened and even though he lost his Soldier, she would lose her Indra since it only stands for one turn. They both removed their pieces and the screen closed again. _'He must be trying to use the same strategy I'm using on him and tries to read my pieces from my feelings. I won't believe this. The Rijinhai game has various strategies for over 2,000 years.'_she thought as she placed her Elephant piece onto the board.

Aqua looked to her for a second before taking a piece and placing it onto the board. The screen opened and it was her Elephant against his King which gave him the win. She was shocked to see that he can read her strategy. "You should know, this game was originally founded in Egypt so I know this game as well as many others like the back of my hand." he said which made her even more shocked at the fact. The game continued on and Aqua finally beat Ailean using his Queen against her King. With that, she lost the game.

She lowered her head but then raised it again, smiling. "You are truly a great gamer. No wonder it was easy for one of you to defeat Kaiba. I truly accept my defeat, glad to have this chance to challenge one of you even if it was at the risk of your friend's life." she said. He nodded and stood and so did she. She went over to the door and unlocked it, the door with the tiger behind it lowering back down. Yugi, seeing that the game was over and Aqua won, quickly left Yami's side and ran out into the dancing room and saw that Zella was alright.

"Ok Zella, you can release your position now." Ailean said and she nodded, standing upright again. Yugi hugged Zella as Yami and Aqua walked over to them and Ailean smiled to the four of them.

0

Later that night, Ailean returned to Kaiba's and returns her title as Game Master. "Even though I lost, I can see that both Yami and Aqua are very great gamers. No wonder you lost against one of them." she told him and he snarled in anger. As she was leaving, she stopped and looked back to him. "And you know, they probably are greater players than you and Ruby. Think on that instead of wasting your time in trying to get revenge." she said before leaving.

He snorted and looked back out the window as usual, contemplating the last of his plans to defeat them.

0

The next day, Ailean was on her plane to return back to Paris and Yugi, Yami, Zella and Aqua were there to send her off. As her plane left, they waved goodbye to her and she waved back to them until they were out of sight._'One day, Yugi, I will return and maybe I can play another game with you instead of Yami or Aqua. Perhaps a love game.'_ she thought and then laughed softly, knowing that the chances of that may not happen. _'But either way, if I do, we'll play again.'_

0

As they left the airport, Zella left then since she have something else to do and they nodded, having to get back to the shop. She waved goodbye to them as she left and they started making their way back to the shop. Another person came up from behind and took hold of Yugi's shoulder, causing him to gasp and both Yami and Aqua ready to attack if necessary. "Calm down, you two. I'm not going to hurt him." The girl said, releasing his shoulder and he turned to look up at her. "Who are you?" he asked.

"I'm Keara. Decided it was time for me to introduce myself to you, Yugi." she said.

"How do you know my name?"

"I've been watching you and the demons here for a while. I have been a protector of Egypt for a long time and noticed that you completed the puzzle and freed them." Yugi placed a hand over the puzzle and she laughed softly, waving her hand. "Don't worry, I'm not going to do anything to it or them. Just want to become friends and help you three out when you need it." she said.

"And what can you do to help us?" Yami questioned. She led them into the alley nearby so they would be away from prying eyes and then backed away, shifting into her dragon form and looked down to their surprised faces. "Because, I'm a dragon and not only that but I have magic as well so if something happens, I can protect you." she said before shifting back and they left out. "Well, we're glad to meet you then Keara. I'm actually happy to meet a fellow dragon." Aqua said and she smiled more.

"Glad to meet the two infamous demons of the Sennen Puzzle myself. I'm happy to know you both found someone to love and loves you back just as much." she spoke, ruffling Yugi's hair a bit and laughed as he pouted. Yami nodded, wrapping his arms around Yugi and soon swept him off his feet, holding him bridal style then looked back to her. "How about you come over to the shop for a bit? We can talk and learn a little more about you." Yami suggested and Yugi nodded in agreement.

"Sure, I would be delighted." she said and they were soon on their way back to the Game Shop.

0

Zypher: And that's all for this chapter. Now we're onto the final Game Master and ever so close to Death-T. Might hold it off for two more chapters just for two more people to introduce. Mokuba and Hanasaki (cause I want to). Now here's my question to you, just like how Laryna6 let someone continue on from her story, should I continue on with the YnG: DA story to go through Duelist Kingdom, Dungeon Dice, Battle City, Virtual World, Alcatraz Tower, KC Grand Prix and Memory Arc (which will be different from the series since Yami and Aqua has a totally different past which I need to think on a little more) and if you do, should I continue those parts in the story itself or place them as separate stories that might just be one big story that is a saga in a way?

Tell me in your reviews and I'll get to work on the rest of these chapters. And remember, whoever catches the 100th review, most likely in the next chapter, note me or say so in your review and give me your request while you're at it and I'll get to work on it in between stories. See you soon.


	20. Fourth Game Master of Life

Zypher: Well, here we are, the last chapter that deals with the Four Game Masters. Ever so close is Death-T and the dangers it possesses. Now I'm get excited about it. Next to Ailean, this Game Master may sound quite nice to you. Glad you enjoyed the last chapter and hope you will like this one.

0

Yami no Game: Death's Awakening

Chapter 20

0

Isolated from prying eyes sat a large capsule. Inside that capsule slept an old man. As the man slept, his dreams were showing him the memories of his past. In those dreams, he was at the Kaiba Mansion, watching as a young and happy Seto played on the swings. He was the one that had taught Seto to play many different games. It was hard at first but soon he got the hang of it and was always full of smiles when he won a game against the older man. The man, Dimon, had a smile graced on his face as he thought about the smile Seto once showed him.

0

In Kaiba's office in the Kaiba Corp building, he was discussing to Ruby about the defeat of the three Game Masters by Yami and Aqua. "We will have to do something about them later. Right now, we need to worry about the upcoming game we have against Omega Town, our rival company." Kaiba spoke. "I know. Whoever wins that game will get the details to the newest game coming out soon and you want to win that for game profit for the corporation." Ruby said. "Also, father says he will be coming back soon." Kaiba growled at the mention of their father.

"He's actually coming back? What's the reason this time?" he questioned. "He's angry at you. It's probably because you're wasting time with the game you have planned." Kaiba hmphed at the thought. "I don't care. He gave me reign of the company and I run it the way I want." he spoke before getting back to the task at hand, getting out of his chair and walking out of his office with Ruby trailing behind. "Besides, the preparations are almost done and I have the last Game Master to attend to. He will be battling in the game against Omega Town and once that is dealt with, I have him take care of those demons."

They took the elevator down to the lowest floor and left out, heading toward a large capsule that sat in what looked like a laboratory. Kaiba typed in the security code and with a hiss, the glass top lifted off the capsule and the man that sat inside opened bleary eyes before sitting up and turning to Kaiba.

"Master Kaiba..." Were the first words he spoke for the first time in years. "Glad to see you're still up and running, Dimon. Now I have a job for you." Kaiba spoke, assigning the game against Omega Town to him before he and Ruby left.

0

In the city, Yugi and his friends were glad for the weekend and decided to take a group shopping trip at the mall to pass the time. Honda tried his best to lead Miho to some more lovely clothing but she was too engrossed in the things she and Zella were pointing out. Yami, Aqua, Keara and Yugi were in another section, Yami pointing out certain styles of clothing to the younger that he seemed to find interesting. Yugi went to the dressing room when he found something he liked and Yami waited for him outside.

Yugi soon came out wearing a tight fitting black mesh shirt and a pair of black jeans complete with a silver chain belt. "How does this look, Yami?" he asked, looking to the other. He turned his gaze to him and lost most coherent thoughts. "Ravishing, my dear love. Very ravishing but to me, you would look just wonderful in anything." he said softly, trying to get his mind back on track before anything leaked through their shared bond. Yugi smiled, blushing lightly, and decided to buy it.

On the other side of town, the game between Omega Town and Kaiba Corp was about to start. Ruby volunteered to watch Dimon since he would only stay for 3 hours. The game they were to play was a Duel Monsters game in which the winner of the match gains the new game project.

"So, you decided to get an old man to challenge me?" The Omega Town's player laughed. "This shouldn't take long."

Dimon looked to him, tsking lightly. "You should know, playing games of any kind doesn't matter by age but by experience." Soon, the game started and in a few minutes, Dimon was able to beat the other and win the project. Ruby left with Dimon soon after and let him in the car, telling the driver to take him back to the Kaiba Corp Laboratories.

When the car was gone, he left to go meet up with Kaiba.

0

After doing their shopping, the gang split up and Yugi suggested for him, Keara, Yami and Aqua to head to Domino Fun Park which they agreed to. As they were walking, Yugi saw some new Duel Monster cards in a store window and wanted to check them out. Without even looking up at the signal, he started making his way across the street in a short sprint, not seeing the car coming.

He heard the honk of the car horn and wasn't able to make it out the way in time. Yami looked back and saw what was about to happen and quickly sent out a tendril of shadow to capture Yugi and move him away. The car also tried to move out the way to avoid hitting him and ran off the road.

"You should've watched where you was going, little one." Yami said as they ran over to the car just as the ambulance came. The back door hung open, showing the limp arm of the figure inside and Yugi had tears gathering in his eyes for his carelessness. Once the ambulance carried the man off, Yugi asked if they could go to see him and they agreed, knowing that Yugi was feeling great sorrow for what he caused.

0

Once they were there, they asked about the man that just came in and the nurse led them to the room. The doctor was in the room, checking over the old man, an expression of shock on his face. Yugi walked over to him and quietly asked the doctor if he could still save him. "I can but the shocking thing is that he should've been dead a long time ago." The doctor spoke. "Really? That is surprising." Keara whispered. "Yes. At the most, he must've been surviving with the help of very powerful technology." he spoke once more.

Soon, the old man opened his eyes and rose up from the bed, still looking healthy as ever. Yugi saw that he was awake and apologized for what happened. "I was so stupid to try and get across the street at that point." he said softly and the man placed a hand upon his shoulder.

"It's ok, little one. No need to worry about me. I am fine and you should feel grateful for that." he said, reaching over to the side table to get his glasses and Yugi nodded. He then spotted Aqua's deck sitting in his pocket and asked him about it. "Oh this? This deck belongs to my friend, Aqua, over there." He said pointing over to Aqua who sat down along with Yami and Keara. "He lets me use it until I can make up my own deck which he and Yami are helping me with." Yugi continued.

"Ah, that sounds very nice of him and I'm guessing you are a good duelist, am I right?" he questioned. "No, I'm not that good yet." Yugi murmured. "Well, why don't we see then. I'm sure you are a good duelist when you think about it." he said, pulling out his own deck and Yugi smiled, agreeing to the duel and pulled up a chair. Yami quickly conjured a field map, without Dimon noticing, for them and walked over to place it on the bed before taking his seat once more to watch.

After shuffling their decks, they started their duel. Dimon summoned Sleeping Worm (500/1700) onto the mountain field. Yugi placed down Dark Mammoth on the plains field to attack his Sleeping Worm, taking him out easily before summoning Black Scorpion to the field as well. Dimon looked up to Yugi and notice the seriousness and concentration in his eyes.

He summons Gagal (1000/1200) and seeing the monster's strength was high compared to the ones in his hand at the moment, he laughs softly, seeing he was defeated. "Oh well. I'll keep working hard though." he said as they picked up their cards once the duel was over.

"Well, as a little help for you, don't think too much on tactics, little one. You can find it easier to guess what you want to do instead." Dimon said and Yugi nodded, laughing softly as he got up. _'His smile and laugh. It reminds me so much of Seto when he was young.'_ he thought. The door opened once more and they looked up to see Kaiba standing there with a few men.

"Come on, Dimon. It's time to head back." Kaiba said coldly and both Yami and Aqua hissed in anger at seeing him again. He turned his gaze to them and a familiar spark showed in his eyes before leading the older man out the door with his men behind him.

Keara heard them hiss and turned to them. "Was that Kaiba?" she questioned. "Yeah and we both hate him with the intensity of a thousand suns. He has put Yugi in danger many times before using the help of people known as Game Masters. We don't know how many there are but soon, we will confront him and deal with him ourselves." Yami said, looking to her. "And how did that all started?" she asked as they left out the hospital and continued on their way to the Domino Fun Park.

"He tried to take jii-chan's Blue Eyes White Dragon on the day he and his friend came in. We came to a draw in a duel since he hurt Yugi. He's out for revenge now since he wants his undefeatable title back." Yami explained as they soon reached the park.

0

Back at Kaiba Corp, Gozaburo Kaiba arrived by helicopter and confronted with Ruby on the top floor. "Ruby, where is that other no good son of mine."

"He's waiting for you in the meeting room." he said, leading him there and Kaiba was sitting in the chair, waiting for them. The administrators of the company were there as well. "Alright, no time to waste. Tell me, Seto, what is taking so long for this game land project that cost over three times the normal budget to be done with? I don't give you two money to waste." he spoke and Kaiba watched him.

"Because, dear father, it takes time, patience and high investment to make a great game and this is being done carefully so I have everything the way I want it to be. It's like a game. No one will know what happens until it happens." Kaiba explained which made Gozaburo angrier.

"I know what you're up to and frankly, I think you're not ready to own this company." he hissed. "I'm perfectly capable of running Kaiba Corp." Kaiba said, eyes narrowed. "Oh really? And exactly whose company is it? Who was the one who took you, Ruby and your little brother in?" Gozaburo told him. Kaiba only snapped his fingers and soon, the administrators were all on Kaiba's side. "You may have them on your side but remember who brought you up to this point." he said once more and Kaiba only tsked.

"You are a loser Gozaburo and like all losers, they need to go." Kaiba said. Gozaburo stood up and looked to him and Ruby. "Fine, if you are so confident with this then go ahead. Let's just say I won't be here to pick up the pieces if you fail." he announced and much to the shock of the administrators, Gozaburo flung himself out the window nearby, instantly sealing his fate. They murmured to themselves but Kaiba kept his cold facade.

Dimon soon came in, greeting him. "Dimon, I have a job for you. I want you to go look for Yugi Motou and duel him. If you win, you'll probably go against those that I wish to defeat. Do not fail me." he whispered, showing the picture of said boy to him, and Dimon nodded even though he didn't want to go against him since he remembered him as the boy from the hospital.

"Come on, Ruby. We still have work to do." Kaiba said as they both left out, telling one of his servants to get the specially made wheelchair for Dimon.

0

When they finally got to the park, they started walking about, Yugi becoming as happy like a child would. "Hey Yugi, why don't we go into the Monster House first." Keara suggested and he nodded happily, bouncing off while they followed behind him.

In the Monster House, Yugi was surprised at seeing the fake monsters look so realistic. Even Yami and Aqua were impressed with the display. They continued to walk, unaware of the danger until Yugi screamed and they turned to see him caught in the grip of one of the monsters. "This is probably Kaiba's doing as usual." Yami growled, claws forming.

The ground beneath Keara, Yami and Aqua shook a bit before lifting them up above ground to what looked like a battle dome and who should be there but Kaiba himself and Dimon. "Well Yami and Aqua. As you can see, Yugi is caught by one of my monsters and if you wish to free him, one of you will have to battle Dimon, the 4th and final Game Master." he said. _'Dimon is a Game Master. But he's so nice. How could Kaiba do that to him?'_ Yugi thought, struggling to get out of the monster's grip.

Yami snorted. "I had just about enough with your games, Kaiba. Especially dragging Dimon into this. He is very old and using a virtual reality simulator may cost him his life." he hissed. Keara stepped up, holding him back. "I'll take this one for you both." she said. Yami looked to her and seeing the look in her eyes, nodded. "Kaiba, I'll take him on. Besides, I haven't had a good duel in a while and I know of his skills." she spoke as she took the seat there and took out her deck. Both of them shuffled before placing their decks down on the table.

"Fine. Let's just see how good you are." Kaiba said before initiating the start of the duel. On the first turn, Dimon summoned Skull Bird (800/100) which had the ability of ultra sonic waves. The bat-like monster appeared on the field as he placed another card face down. Keara took her turn, summoning Lesser Dragon to attack Skull Bird but Dimon activated his trap card, Golgotha Sand which trapped her monster and lowered its attack. "Good move, Dimon." she said as she gave the turn to him and he attacked with Skull Bird, defeating her Lesser Dragon.

After her monster was destroyed, Dimon looked over to Yugi who watched the duel from the grip of the monster. "Yugi, I can tell you this. Kaiba wasn't always like you see him now." he spoke and Yugi looked to him. "What do you mean?" he questioned. "When he was young, he used to be a happy child. Always playing games and having fun. Even helped me when I was sick. I used to like those times but now, they're gone." he said softly and Kaiba looked to him. "Continue the duel, Dimon."

Keara took her turn and summoned Old Vindictive Magician in defense mode. One her turn was done, he summoned Bloody Zombi (700/600) in attack mode and Keara activated her monster's special ability, destroying Skull Bird. Dimon started to feel bad, his health worsening and Kaiba pressed a button on the side of his wheelchair that gave him a special liquid to keep him up for the duel along with a special telescope that could see Keara's cards' reflection in her eyes but Dimon refused it, saying he could win on his own.

On his turn, he summons Golden Pegasus and Angel Alferia (350). Keara summons Koumori Dragon which none of his monsters could beat and she had it attack his Golden Pegasus, destroying it easily with a mighty bite. He sent out more monsters but with each one, they were defeated by Koumori Dragon.

_'But I wonder, why did he summon such low level monsters?'_ she thought as she ended her turn. "Now, to summon my key card." he said, placing down Zombi Master and with it, its effect activated, bringing back the spirit of three of his monsters from the graveyard which all combined to attack and defeat Koumori Dragon.

Two turns later, with her monsters being destroyed by the combined attacks and the monster's mouth drawing closer to Yugi, she drew a Monster Reborn and played it, bringing back Angel Alferia and canceling the effect of Zombi Master on that card. She then played Light Flute which powered up the monster and with it destroyed Zombi Master and the rest of Dimon's life points. Because of the blast, he fell back, wheelchair and all, and now lied on the floor.

Keara picked up her cards and ran over to him, Yugi being released by the monster back onto the floor of the Monster House. Seeing that he was safe, knowing that if they tried anything during the duel, Kaiba would do something which is why they didn't act, and ran over to Dimon's side as well. Kaiba only sneered and left without any remorse for Dimon. He coughed softly, his health now failing him more and more and he looked up to Yami and Aqua. "Please, I know you can do it. Please, bring back Seto's true heart." he whispered.

Keara smiled sadly and nodded. "We will, Dimon. We will." she said before looking up to them. Seeing what she wanted them to do, Yami walked over and knelt by Dimon. "Dimon, I know you have been surviving by technology for as long as you have and as the doctor told us, you should've died. Knowing Kaiba, whatever he did to help you, he won't do so anymore since you lost." Yami murmured. "It's alright, just fulfilling a dying man's wish." Dimon murmured and he nodded. With a wave of his hand, he took Dimon's soul and sighed softly as he and Aqua absorbed it, keeping the old man's soul as part of their heart.

Keara wiped the tears from her eyes as he stood. "I wish he didn't have to die but we all know he couldn't live any longer without the help of some sort of technology." she whispered. "I know. I wish I didn't have to. Compared to all the Game Masters we went against, he was the nicest and most trustworthy. May he rest in peace now." Yami whispered before they left. Keara turned back for a second and whispered a spell under her breath, Dimon's body disappearing to be buried by the dragon spirits.

_'We'll fulfill your wish, Dimon. You deserve it after what you've been through.'_ Keara thought as she went to follow behind Yami and Aqua who finally met up with Yugi and decided that they should head home for now.

0

Zypher: And that's all for today. Yes, sad ending but that gives you all more reason to hate evil Kaiba! Now, time to speedily write up the next 2-3 (since I might add two parts with the introduction of Mokuba from when they first played against him in Monster World to their stay at the mansion where he plays against them again at Russian Roulette with dinner) chapters so we can get to Death-T. I can't believe I'm making my own self excited for that but anyways, hoped you all enjoyed this chapter. See you soon.


	21. Night Time Hero

Zypher: Welcome all! Getting ever so close to Death-T. Yep, from your reviews, I can see you all hate evil Kaiba. Well, that'll soon be taken care of. But for now, glad you all enjoyed the last chapter and hope you will enjoy this one as well.

Note: I had a feeling that you all were thinking that when I was doing the introduction for Hanasaki with Duel 3: Hard Beat but I couldn't since I didn't have my Shonen jump issue that contained that duel nor do I have the graphic novel with that in there so I'm starting the introduction with Duel 22 and 23: American Hero. If I ever find my issue or get the novel, I'll think about writing up that part later in the story or before Monster World.

0

Yami no Game: Death's Awakening

Chapter 21

0

With no sign of Kaiba for the next few days, they were happy to relax for a while. During school, Yugi, Jou, Honda and Zella made a new friend named Tomoya Hanasaki. He was interested in a comic called Zombire he brought in, along with a few more, and were quickly friends once he became interested. "It's so awesome to know you collect all these American comics, Hanasaki." Yugi said. "Yeah! Zombire is super-popular in America!" Hanasaki said, looking up to him. "I've always had an interest in American superheroes. Zombire is one of my favorites."

"So, how did Zombire become such a great hero?" Zella questioned. "Oh, you won't believe it! He was once the God of Death but he learned to love and started fighting evil! But the more he turns good, the more his face behind the mask rots away, like a zombie and as time passes, his life gets shorter! But he still fights evil! That's why they call him Zombire!" He said proudly before realizing his outburst.

"Sorry. I always get excited when I talk about Zombire." he whispered.

"No worries, Hanasaki. That just show how much you like him." Yugi replied. _'Even though his explanation of him makes me think of Yami and Aqua. I may not know what happened in their past that led them to become demons but they did learn to love and started fighting those that were evil at heart.'_ he thought. "At my jii-chan's store, imported Zombire action figures are selling like hotcakes!" he continued.

"Do you happen to have garage kits too...?" Jou asked.

"Yeah!"

"Hey guys! Why don't you all come over to my house after school? I can show you my entire collection!" Hanasaki suggested.

"Sure!"

"I'd love to see it, Hanasaki-kun!"

"Ok! Right after school, we'll head over to my house!"

0

When they got to Hanasaki's, he led them to his room where Jou, Honda, Zella and Yugi were surprised at all the Zombire stuff Hanasaki had. "Wow! Did you collect all of this, Hanasaki?" Jou asked in awe as they looked around at all the figures, posters and books he had.

"Well, my father works in America. Every time he comes back to Japan, he brings something for me." Hanasaki explained. "That's really amazing!" Yugi said, picking up a case with a Zombire action figure inside. "Here's a rare gold variant figure! You just can't find these anywhere in Japan!"

As they were examining more figures and reading some of the books he had, the door open and in walked Hanasaki's mother with a tray of snacks.

"Welcome everyone! Would you like some Zombire snacks? They're from America!" His mother told them. "Sure! We'd love some, Mrs. Hanasaki!" Zella said happily. She smiled, placing the tray down for them and both Yugi and Jou took and cup of tea for themselves. "This is the first time Tomoya has brought so many friends home!" she said with a smile. "Oh! But before I forget, you have another surprise visitor, Tomoya!" she said as a figure appeared from behind her.

"Huh...!"

She laughed softly as the figure came into view. "Bwhaha! I'm Zombire!" The figure spoke, shocking Yugi and Jou. "Hi dad!" Hanasaki said happily.

"Dad?!" They both said in surprise. Hanasaki jumped up and ran over to him, his dad ruffling his hair lightly. "When did you get home?" he asked. "Oh, just now!" His father said.

"Dad! Is that a real Zombire mask?!" Hanasaki questioned, more enthusiasm in his voice.

"Oh yes! It's the one you wanted, Tomoya." he said, pulling the mask off and handed it to him.

"This must've been expensive." Hanasaki murmured.

"That's ok, as long as you like it." he said with a smile.

_'All right! I'll dress up in this costume and surprise everyone!'_ he thought as he left the room. "Please, have some snacks everyone!" he spoke as he went down the hall.

When he was gone, Jou took another sip of his tea, looking over to Yugi, Honda and Zella. "Man, whole family's Zombire crazy..." he said before looking up and saw something. He got up and went over to a shelf, pulling out a box. "Whoa! A Zombire garage kit! He hasn't completed it yet!" he said, going back to sit down with them.

"What's a garage kit?" Zella asked.

"It a plastic model of a character. They're designed by pro modelers but you have to build them yourself. They look very cool once you're done!" Yugi explained.

"Alright! I'll do it for him!" Jou exclaimed. "Hanasaki's too busy collecting to put this thing together!"

"This is your basic soft vinyl kit! First you soak the pieces in warm water and mold them into the right shape. Once the parts are warm...you cut off the excess from everything except the parts you need." he directed, showing them how to create the model. "Then connect the parts with glue...a little bit of spray paint and it's done!" he said, showing them the finished model.

Hanasaki came in with his Zombire costume on, getting a compliment from Zella, and was appalled to see his garage kit model done. "Why...why did you put it together? I wanted to keep it in its original box..." he said. "Huh! You weren't going to build it?!" Jou exclaimed. "No. It would've kept its value if it was still in its box." he explained. "Oh."

0

After staying a little while longer, Yugi, Jou, Zella and Honda thought it was time to get home. "Thanks for having us over." Yugi said happily.

"Sorry about the kit though..." Jou murmured softly. "It's alright! Actually, it looks better this way! You did a good job, Jounouchi-kun!" Hanasaki said. He grinned and nodded, thanking him.

"Goodbye!"

"See you tomorrow!" Hanasaki called, waving back to them before heading inside with his parents. "That was fun!" he said, looking up to his mother. Mr. Hanasaki was silent for a while and once Hanasaki and his wife were gone, he left back out the house, catching up with Yugi and his friends. "Ah...ahem...excuse me everyone.." he called and they turned back to see him there. "Please stay friends with Tomoya. I...I beg of you." he said, shocking them. "We'll always be his friends!" Yugi spoke.

"Yeah, he's right. What did you think?" Jou questioned.

"Thank you...To be honest, Tomoya is...fragile. Because of my work, I haven't been able to spend time with him as I'd like...I was starting to think his only friends were those action figures." he said softly, eyes downcasted as he spoke. "Don't worry, Mr. Hanasaki. He's not as fragile as you think." Jou said. "Yeah, he's right! Well, we got to get going! Later!" Yugi said as they continued their walk back to their homes. Mr. Hanasaki watched as they go, silent as he recalled their words.

_'Be strong, Tomoya...be strong!'_ he thought as a memory resurfaced.

-Flashback-

"Wow, Dad! You brought something for me again!" Hanasaki said as he laid in a hospital bed, holding a box in his hands. "Yes, he's called Zombire, Tomoya. He's the strongest hero in America...no...he's the strongest hero in the world." he explained. "Wow! Is he really that strong?" Hanasaki asked.

"Yes!"

Hanasaki smiled as he looked back to the action figure. "When I look at the action figure, I feel like I'm stronger too!" he said happily. "Really! Then I'll bring you more Zombire toys and comics every time I come back from America!"

"Really! You promise?!" he exclaimed, looking up to his father.

"Yes, Tomoya! Lots of toys! Tons of them!"

-End Flashback-

_'Tomoya...'_ He turned to the window where Hanasaki was roleplaying Zombire up in his room.

"Yes, I am cool if I do say so myself!" he said happily, looking up to one of his many posters of Zombire. "Streaking through the night, racing between skyscrapers to defeat evil!" Soon, he was gazing at the poster with fascination. _'Streaking through the night...that's so cool...Zombire belongs to the night!'_ he thought before becoming determined.

_'All right...I'm going to go out dressed like this...no one will know it's me...'_ he thought as he moved over to the window and opened it. "Careful." he whispered to himself as he climbed out onto the small roof below his window and soon jumped down to the ground, catching his father's attention.

He turned to see him running off into the night. _'Tomoya...'_

0

_'This is amazing! I feel like the real Zombire! I feel like I'm strong!'_ he thought as he came into the park, unaware of someone watching him from the shadows, and relaxed on a bench. _'Ha ha ha...I could get used to this.'_ Hanasaki thought, stretching a bit. He then heard something and turned to see two kids beating up another.

"Take that!" One said, kicking the kid that was still on the ground. The other tried to stand up but was soon punched by the other two.

_'A fight...this is bad...two against one...'_ he thought, getting up and walking off but then realized something. _'But Zombire wouldn't run of at a time like this!'_ He turned back to where the fight was happening and caught the teens' attention.

"What are you?" One questioned.

"I'm Zo-" But stopped, realizing what he was about to do. _'Wait! Zombire doesn't give his true name until he beats the bad guys!'_ he thought. "So, you want some too, eh?!" One of the bullies snapped, making a move to attack him and he cried out, raising a hand to block the blow. When the bully hit his hand, he flew back with a cry._'Huh!'_

"Hey! You hit my friend!" The other growled, moving to attack him. _'Oh no!'_ he thought, raising his hands to block once more but saw that the other flew back. "Huh?" Both teens got up and ran off.

"This dude's stronger than a freight train!" One cried.

"We can't fight him! Let's get out of here!"

_'Ah! I almost forgot! This is where I say my name!'_ He thought. "I am Zombire!" he announced as he left. _'Oh, I am so cool!'_

_'Amazing... just amazing...I'm really strong! I'm Zombire!'_

0

In another part of the park, the three teens were talking with Mr. Hanasaki. "Good enough for you?" One asked and he nodded. "Yes...yes it was! Oh...of course! Here's your payment!" he spoke, handing them some money. _'Now Tomoya will have more confidence in himself.'_

"Heh heh! That job was a breeze! 100,000 yen (about $800 US) for playing along with a kid's hero games!"

"Can you do it again?" he asked.

"No prob. Just tell us your son's name and school and we'll do the work." The first teen spoke. _'This old dude's a sucker...'_ he thought.

0

The next day after school, Yugi was leaving out since his friends were busy. "Maybe Yami and Aqua will work with me on my Zombire garage kit." he said quietly to himself. The two teens from the night before walked up behind him and caught his shoulder. "Hey! You're from Domino High, right?" he questioned. _'They look like trouble. Better be careful.'_ he thought. "Do you happen to know somebody named Hanasaki?" he asked again. _'Hanasaki! What could they want with him? I best keep quiet.'_

"Uh...who are you talking about? I don't know Hanasaki." he said. Hanasaki was leaving out the school gates when he heard the commotion.

"You're lying! You do know him!" The bully hissed.

"Those are the guys from yesterday! And they're picking on Yugi!" he said to himself. The first took a fistful of Yugi's school uniform, glaring down at him. "Honest...I don't know." he whispered, doing his best to keep any sense of fear from going through the link.

_'I taught them a lesson yesterday and they still pick on people.'_ he thought._'Don't worry, Yugi. I'll protect you! This looks like a job for Zombire!'_

"Don't lie to us!" The kid said again. "We know you know Hanasaki!"

"I don't! I really don't!" Yugi cried. Hanasaki came over and stood in front of Yugi, holding his arms out to protect him. "Cut it out! Leave him alone!" he told them and Yugi was surprised. _'Hanasaki!'_ he thought. The teens were also surprised but underneath their ploy, only acting. Hanasaki was determined, glaring up at the others. "Hey...he sounds like..." The second kid whispered. _'Yeah, no mistake! It's him! The play hero from yesterday!'_ The other thought. They looked down at him and he continued to glare.

_'Don't be scared...I can take these guys when I turn into Zombire!'_

"Hey, let's get out of here!"

"Yeah, we can't handle this guy!"

They both walked off and Yugi was even more surprised. _'Phew.'_Hanasaki thought._'They ran away when they saw Hanasaki? What could've started this up?'_ he wondered before he looked to Hanasaki. "Are you alright, Yugi?" he asked. "Yeah, I'm fine but that was incredible, Hanasaki!" Yugi praised. "From now on, let me know if you have any bully problems! I'll take care of them for you!" he said and Yugi nodded. "Sure." he told him. _'He seems really confident now. I'm glad.'_ he thought before they headed separate ways.

Not far off, the two teens kept walking. "Hey, where are we going? Weren't we going to pay him back for last night?" the teen wearing a bandanna asked. "No way! We just need to know what he looked like." he other said, looking back to the first. "That little brat is out meal ticket! Let him play hero for now!" he told him. _'Because he won't be for long. We'll put the plan into action tonight.'_

0

That night, Yugi was assembling his own Zombire garage kit, Aqua watching from the bed. "It seems your new friend has gotten you into this Zombire, hasn't he?" Aqua questioned. "Yeah! You should've seen the collection he had. Not only that but I could kinda relate Zombire to you and Yami." he said, turning to look at him. "Oh really? Do tell, little love."

"Well, as Hanasaki told me before, Zombire was a God of Death who decided to fight evil once he learned to love and kept fighting no matter the consequences to himself. In a way, that makes me think of you two since you both took care of any evil hearted person that hurt me or my friends, no matter the consequences it would do to you both." Yugi explained and Aqua nodded in understanding.

"Yes, he definitely relates to us. We have taken care of every evil hearted person, except for Kaiba and those that you wish to have lived, even with the consequences such as what happened after you saw us when we didn't want you to, at least not at that time." Aqua murmured.

"Yeah. I hate to go back on that memory. I still feel so stupid to have made you two leave without giving you the chance to explain the situation more." he whispered and Aqua climbed off the bed, walking over to him and draped his arms around his shoulders, nuzzling his neck with a purr. "Don't worry. We are here now and forever. You forgave us and that's all you needed to do to have us return to you and give you our love." Aqua purred, kissing his neck softly and made the younger teen blush.

"I-I better get back to my kit." he stuttered and Aqua laughed, his deep voice sending shivers down his spine. "But of course. I shouldn't distract you now, should I?" he said before moving back to let him work. Yugi did as he said, finishing up the model within a few more minutes.

"There, now all it needs is a little paint and he'll be done." he said as he took the spray can and went to spray some onto the model but saw it was empty. "Oh no. The can's empty." he murmured and sighed. "Talk about bad luck. Just when I was almost done and we don't stock spray cans in the store. All the places will be closed by now."

He looked over to the clock and saw it was only eight now. _'Wait just a second...I have an idea.'_ he thought and looked over to Aqua. "Hey Aqua, do you mind giving me a ride over to Hanasaki's? Since he's a bigger fan of Zombire than me, he probably has some paint I can use." Yugi asked.

"Sure, climb on and tell me the way." Aqua said, kneeling down and Yugi climbed onto his back, taking a grip on the hooded black cloak he now took a liking to wearing. He made a big enough hole through the skylight with a bit of his magic and flew out, returning the skylight back to normal before following Yugi's directions to Hanasaki's.

0

There, one of the guys from the group of three stood by his house, holding something in his hands.

Inside, the Hanasaki family was eating dinner. "You're going back to America tomorrow, aren't you, dad? When will you be back this time?" Hanasaki asked. "I don't know really..." Hanasaki looked crestfallen. "Oh well..." he said quietly. His father saw this and knew of something that might cheer him up. "B...By the way, Tomoya! I heard of an incredible rumor! Last night, some bad guys were beating someone in the park but they were stopped by a superhero that appeared out of nowhere!" he explained. "Who knows, it might be Zombire!"

Hanasaki smiled at seeing his father happy. _'Wouldn't he be surprised if he knew that was me...'_ he thought, his spirits lightening up more before he excused himself from the table. "Well, goodnight! Thanks for dinner!" he said as he left the kitchen, looking back to them. "I'll be in my room but knock before you come in, ok?" They nodded. Once he was in his room, Mrs. Hanasaki looked to her husband. "Don't you think Tomoya is acting a little more masculine lately?" she questioned. He chuckled softly, pouring himself some more to drink.

"You think so?"

0

He placed on his costume, removing his glasses and placing in contacts before placing his mask on and went to practice his fighting skills. _'I have to keep in shape so I can fight evil!'_ he thought, continuing with his punches and kicks until something flew in through his window. "W-what is that?" he wondered before picking it up, finding out it was a note. "It's a ransom note!" he exclaimed, reading it.

_'Attention superhero-_

_We have your friend! Don't try and stop us!'_ The note read, a crude drawing of Yugi tied up off to the side of the note along with a map to their location. _'Yugi's been kidnapped!'_

"It must be the work of those punks! They won't get away with this!" he said before leaving out the window and towards where the guys supposedly held Yugi. The note was left on the floor of his room among the broken glass of his window.

Around the corner, the kid that threw the note was talking through a walkie talkie, telling the others that he was coming.

0

"Hey, he's coming this way!" The second said, looking over to the first that was spraying a skull and crossbones onto the wall that was over the square-like pier by a train bridge.

The first laughed, finishing up his art before turning to the other. "Alright, time for stage two!" he said and the other nodded, bringing out a cellphone and dialing Hanasaki's home number which they gotten before planning out their little ploy. "Hello, is this Tomoya Hanasaki's home?" he asked and got a confirmation. "You're his old man?" Again, another confirmation. "Hey, it's us. We'd like to play some more hero games with Tomoya tonight..."

0

Mr. Hanasaki looked shocked as he heard the guy he asked to help raise Hanasaki's confidence speak. /And the payment this time will be.../ he said and he gasped. _'500,000 yen!'_(about $4,100 US) he thought in shock. The teen laughed again. "If you don't want to pay... then we'll introduce a shocking plot to the game. This time the superhero gets beat to death by the villains." he said, chuckling again.

"But...but I don't have that kind of money!" he told him. The teen didn't give a response to that, only looked up as he and the other saw Hanasaki in his Zombire outfit.

"And here he is...the hero just arrived, old man. If you don't bring the cash, the next time you see him is in a hospital bed." he said before hanging up the phone before getting a response.

"All right, you villains! What have you done with Yugi!" he demanded, unaware that they were planning much more than he thought.

0

Aqua landed at Hanasaki's home and Yugi slid off his back, walking over to the door with him beside him and rang the doorbell. "Good evening! Is Hanasaki in?" he called. The door opened to reveal his frightened father and seeing Yugi there, he begged him to help. "What happened to him?" Yugi asked in fear. "I-I found this in his room. What should I do...?" he pleaded as Yugi took the note and read it over, Aqua looking as well. _'Hanasaki did this for Yugi's sake.'_ Aqua thought before looking to Mr. Hanasaki.

"Don't worry. We'll bring him back." Aqua said and Yugi looked up to him. Seeing that he was angry at the people who did this, nodded and climbed onto his back once more before he flew off, Mr. Hanasaki watching as they left before following.

0

Hanasaki cried as he was kicked once more by the bandanna wearing teen. "What's wrong, little hero?" he taunted as he watched him hit the ground. "Here, I let you in on something. We were only acting last night." he told him and he was silent. "Your old man paid us to do it!" he said and that brought shock to Hanasaki. "You're lying...**_You're lying!_**" he cried, getting back up and charged at them and the first, being the leader of the gang, took the can of paint he had and sprayed it into his face, causing the paint to get into his eyes.

"My eyes!" he cried, writhing on the ground as the other laughed. "You can never be strong!" The bandanna wearing teen said, kicking him.

"That's enough, you foul humans." A voice hissed and they turned to see Aqua standing there, hood shadowing his face and cloak fluttering in the wind as Yugi stood beside him. "You'll be playing a game with me now." he snarled, eyes glittering death as he stared them down. "Go and help Hanasaki, love." he said and he nodded as he ran down to help Hanasaki.

"What the-?! Another wannabe hero?!" The leader said, smoke rising from his cigarette. Aqua snorted as he jumped high into air and landed before the gracefully, Yugi helping Hanasaki to stand. Soon, his father arrived to watch what was going to happen, coming down to help Hanasaki as well and the three of them headed back up the stairs.

"So, you wanna play huh?" The leader spoke and chuckled.

"This should be fun..."

Aqua only laughed darkly and narrowed his eyes, gazing down the leader heatedly. "Think you can really take on all three of us...?" The leader said, flicking his cigarette away and it landed right beside the spray paint can which caught his attention. He smirked, going unnoticed by the others and picked up the can with his tail, transferring it to his hand and looked to them. "I think it will be fun and most satisfying on my part." he said.

"Hey! He's dissing us!" One of the teens said before all three came at him with knives but with a flap of his wings, he was airborne and moved out the way. The leader cursed and he watched him. He flew low to the ground, spraying the paint as the teens chased him. One tried to get him but he curved around him, making him curse.

"He's too fast!"

"I'm gonna kill him!"

Aqua examined his path and smirked, seeing as he had them right when he wanted them. The leader growled and looked to him. "That's it! I don't have time for tag!" he hissed, looking at his two lackeys. "Hey! Circle him from the other side! Corner him at the bridge before he can get away! Pin his wings if needed!" The leader commanded and they ran off to the other side.

Hanasaki's father, Yugi and Hanasaki was already at the top of the stairs, Yugi watching Aqua and Mr. Hanasaki tending to his son. "Tomoya...are you alright?" he questioned. "Yeah, my eyes are just blurry." he whispered before turning to Yugi. "You came to help me. How did you find out?" he asked.

"I came over to your house to get some paint for my model and your father told me what happened. These punks tricked you to come here and now they're about to get what they deserved." Yugi explained and Hanasaki turned his gaze down to where Aqua is, almost in awe art how much he resembled Zombire.

_'He's almost like him. He fighting them to help me!'_ he thought. "Come on, Tomoya! We need to get back home." His father said but he didn't move. "Go, Hanasaki! This is something you or your father shouldn't witness." Yugi murmured. "No! I can't run away! If I do, I'll never be strong!" he said, taking off his mask and watching the rest of the little game Aqua was playing.

Yugi sighed and looked to Mr. Hanasaki. "I warn you, what he will do is not something just anyone would see. He won't let you or Hanasaki remember but if you do happen to remember this night, do not tell anyone else." Yugi whispered and Hanasaki's father looked to him before nodding.

Aqua finally landed and the gang started coming closer. "We got you cornered now." The leader spoke. "Yeah! Prepare yourself for a load of pain!" He laughed darkly and looked to them, removing his hood but his eyes still glittered death.

"You fools really think I was running in circles? Look at the ground!" he said and they realized that he ground was in a mess of intertwining curves that stopped where he was.

"He's been tagging the ground with spray paint!"

"I wasn't tagging. I was sealing your fate with the fuse you happened to set up." he said, pointing to the cigarette that was shortening more and closer to the paint. "It will set the paint on fire and soon, you will have no way out." he told them, surprising them. When the flame hit, the paint was set on fire but it rose high so they couldn't escape. "Hey! Let us out!"

"I can't. You have harmed Yugi's friend and I will not take that lightly. Your lives are **mine**." he whispered, walking through the flames as if they were curtains and looked to them, showing sharp fangs. They tried to escape, seeing as he wasn't normal, but the fire was too hot to even try and jump through without the feeling of being burned to ashes. Quick as a flash, Aqua attacked, knocking each one down before tearing in and gulping down flesh, much to the shock of Hanasaki and his father.

"He's some sort of demon." he whispered and Yugi nodded. "You wouldn't believe the story but he is a demon and he along with another has protected me and my friends for a while, dealing the same punishment to each evil hearted person that has done something to me or my friends unless I will it to not happen." Yugi spoke.

Once the deed was done, the flames died, leaving no trace of the game except for the blood on his snout and claws and he looked up to them. He jumped up and landed before them just as gracefully as the first time and Mr. Hanasaki backed away, ready to take Hanasaki with him but he only walked closer, Yugi walking with him until he stood by Aqua's side and looked to him.

Hanasaki sighed and looked down. "I'm sorry all this happened. It's my fault." he said but Aqua placed a hand on his shoulder, after wiping the blood off, making him look back up to him. "It's not true, little hero..." he whispered.

Soon, his eyes started to give a hypnotic glow, putting him and his father to sleep and with a wave of his hand, they were back home and sleeping in their beds, not remembering the aftermath of his little game with the delinquents and Hanasaki's bruises healed fully. He and Yugi left, taking the can of paint which Yugi was glad was the same one he needed so he could finish his model.

The next day, Hanasaki woke, still in his Zombire costume, and placed on his glasses after removing his contacts and saw a note lying on his desk.

_'Tomoya, your father was wrong. The true hero's face was hidden behind the mask...the face that got bruised defending his friend. Strength comes from the heart. Remember that and you'll always be strong.'_

0

Zypher: And that's it for that. Hoped you all liked and will be waiting for more. Time for evil Mokie's debut and then...Death-T! See you soon. And don't forget, whoever reviews first can get a prize of their choice! A fic of their own plot or a character's (give detail please)appearance in this story most likely unless you like him/her appear in another one of my stories. Tell me if you're my 100th reviewer.


	22. Capsule Monster Chess

Zypher: Hi all! I'm so happy one of my stories finally reached a goal of 100 reviews! Thank you so much! Now, as promised, here's Mokuba's debut. Enjoy.

0

Yami no Game: Death's Awakening

Chapter 22

0

Every day there's a certain candy store. And outside this certain candy store, it always has a bunch of kids outside. They're fighting over a particular coin machine. Capsule Monsters, or Capmon for short. The biggest thing with elementary and junior high school kids. Each egg-shaped capsule has a different toy monster inside.

The number on the front tells what the monster's level is from 1 to 5 and there are 250 different ones to collect. The game itself plays like chess. Both players pick five of their best monsters and pit them against each other. The monsters fight on an 8 by 8 game board that represents the mythical planet Garnaster with many different fields to play on.

You win the game by defeating all your opponent's monsters. Each monster has different attacks and movement abilities so you need to plan your strategy carefully. What's more is that you can't see your opponent's monsters until the start of the game. That's what makes Capsule Monsters so interesting.

And today, another battle is brewing in front of the coin machine. And right behind the line in front of the machine, Yugi watches with interest for the game.

"Darn, not another Level 1 capsule!" One kid cried.

"Want to trade capsules with me?" Another said, looking to the other kid.

After the kid in front left, they moved forward but before Yugi could take a step, another kid zooms by and cuts in front of him.

"Wha-!" he cried, looking to him. "Hey! I was next in line! No cutting in line!"

" 'Cutting?' You were just spacing out!" The kid said. "Besides, aren't you in high school? I mean, you don't look like it but..."

"You're too old to play Capmon!" Another kid finished that was in front of the two.

"Listen, age doesn't mean anything to a real gamer." he said. _'What a brat!'_ he thought, hands shaking. "Huh! If you want it that much, then go ahead first. This time." The kid said. "Thanks." he said uncertainly before walking over to the machine and dug through his pockets for 100 yen.

_'Man, with all the money Yami and Aqua give to me, I can't even keep track of my 100 yen pieces.'_ he thought before pulling the 100 yen coin out from his pocket. "Ah! Here we go, 100 yen..." He placed the money into the slot and turned the crank but nothing came out.

"Hey! No fair! It ate my money!" he cried, shaking the machine while the other kids laughed behind his back. "Ha ha! It's stuck!"

"What a dummy!" Another jeered.

The store owner came out and conked Yugi over his head with his fist, making him wince. "Hey kid! Don't hit the machine!" he said while Yugi rubbed his head. "Hey look! It's "Dentures!" Look out!" A kid quipped, still laughing.

"You think I'll let you break it just because you lost a hundred yen? This machine is expensive! It's worth more that you are!" he said. _'If Yami or Aqua were here, they'll be saying the opposite.'_ Yugi thought, still rubbing his head. "Sorry." he said. _'Don't know why_ **I'm** _apologizing for. Stupid machine ate_ **my** _money!'_

A new kid stepped up and they turned to see who it was and gasped.

"Hey, isn't that..."

"No way! It's Kaiba!"

"The Capsule Monster champion!"

He smiled and then looked to Yugi. "Hey, Yugi!" he called and he turned to him. "Huh...?"

"You're Yugi Motou, aren't you?" he asked. _'Who's he? How does he know my name?'_ he thought. _'He looks like a grade schooler but...'_

He chuckled softly. "No need to rack your brain! You don't know me. This is the first time we've met." he said. "But I do know all about you!"

"You know Seto Kaiba, don't you?" Yugi nodded. "He's my big brother!"

_'Great! Kaiba's little brother. Hopefully he isn't as power crazy as his brother.'_ he thought. "Nii-sama masters any game he plays. He's my hero but I can't believe just a threat to some little shrimp like you can call someone that could actually defeat him...I thought you might be pretty cool, but I guess I was wrong." he explained._'Just perfect, he may be a kid but he has that Kaiba titled revenge in his heart.'_

He then realized the other kids were silent ever since Kaiba's little brother came and he started to worry. /Yami? Aqua? If you're awake, you best come to where I am. I have a bad feeling about what's going on where I am./ he told them mentally but he didn't get a response, only a feeling of sleepiness from the two. "I'm pretty good at Capmon!" His voice brought him back and he looked back to him. "What about you, Yugi? It looks like you play it too!"

"Oh! Well...I'm not that good. I just started a little while ago."

Mokuba only chuckled. "Don't be so modest...!" he said before looking at him with a glint in his eyes. "Get him!" Yugi jumped as the kids now started moving, bringing out guns and tasers. "Where did you get those from?!" he gasped in shock. "Why...they are my followers! Don't even think about trying to escape!" he told him and he gulped in fear. "Hey "Dentures!" We'll take this machine!" he said, taking hold to the machine. "Why you little-!" he started but he threw a wad of money at his feet. "Oh?"

"Keep the change!"

He smiled and nodded. "Please come again!" he said happily, holding the money in his hand. A kid hefted the machine onto his back and Mokuba looked back to Yugi. "All right, Yugi! I'm going to take you somewhere special! Aren't you just excited?!" he taunted as he walked off, Yugi being forced to follow since the other kids were behind him. Yugi knew he was in trouble and quickly send a mental alarm to Yami in hopes to wake him as he followed the kids to an abandoned warehouse.

When they got there, Mokuba sat in a chair and Yugi was forced to sit in the other. "This is our secret hideout! Now do you get it? You have to play Capsule Monster Chess with me!" he said. _'This is it, nii-sama! You will be avenged!'_

0

The sudden alarm woke Yami from his slumber and, surprised, fell off Yugi's bed and hissed as he landed on his back. He sat up, rubbing his back as he tried to contact Yugi.

/What's wrong, love?/ he asked.

/I need your help! Kaiba's little brother is challenging me to a game and I can't escape!/ Yugi responded and he growled. _'Kaiba just won't give up and I'm guessing his little brother is taking his grudge to heart.'_ he thought. /Alright. I'm on my way. I'm going to go inside the puzzle so make sure no one takes it./ he said and Yugi gave a mental nod.

Yami got up and closed his eyes and with a flash of light, he was gone.

0

Yugi flinched as he stared down Mokuba. One of the kids scrutinized him before laughing. "What is this guy? Are all high schoolers this wussy?" he questioned, getting laughs from the others.

"You got something to say, skinny?!" The kid shouted, making him flinch again.

"Mess with us and we'll burn your house to the ground!" Another kid snipped. _'Yeah, like you could get ten feet near my house without getting yourselves hurt...'_ he thought. One of the kids spots his Sennen Puzzle and gawked at it. "Hey! Look at this stupid necklace!"

"Yeah! It looks so gaudy! Let's smash it!" The other kid spoke and the first nodded as he made a move to take it but a growl stopped him. Yugi looked innocent, even with the smile on his face, but he continued to look up and squeaked in fear as cerise eyes glared down at him. "Get your filthy hands off my puzzle." he said in a deadly voice and the kid did so, backing away quickly.

"K-Kaiba! Who is he?" One kid asked.

"That's ok! I know what's up! Nii-sama told me about it... he said Yugi can call two demons to his aid when he or his friends are in trouble and plays a game of deadly proportions...that's the person I want to fight!" Mokuba explained.

Yami chuckled and looked down to Yugi, he looked back to him and nodded before getting out of the seat and he sat down, bringing out his tail to wrap around Yugi's waist while his left arm wrapped around his shoulders. Some of the kids murmured and Mokuba looked to them. "They're lovers from what he told me." he said and some made some disgusted noises but a glare and a growl from Yami shut them up. "Quit bragging your little egoistical head and let's play the game!" he growled and Mokuba smirked.

"Fine. I've chosen Battlefield 7 "Crisis Hill." It's the board I do best at!"

"Prepare your Capsule Monsters. You can use any level you like." Yami spoke and his smirk widened. "That's why I brought the coin machine. If I used my regular collection, there wouldn't be any challenge!" Mokuba said. "You! Take turns drawing capsules! First Yami, then me!" Mokuba told a kid standing next to the machine.

He nodded and turned the crank, getting a Level 1 capsule and handed it to Yugi. /This is bad./ he said. /Don't worry. If I get the right monsters, he will go down easily and since I know you wish for me to not kill him so as to not anger Kaiba further, I'll give him a taste of what hides behind the gates of darkened reality./ Yami spoke and Yugi nodded.

"My turn!" Mokuba called and the kid cranked the machine again, giving a Level 5 capsule to Mokuba. "All right! I got a Level 5! Good for me, bad for you! And don't complain! Luck is a part of skill!" he recited. "Like I care what you get. You will lose either way." Yami said and Mokuba sneered.

The kid continued to give capsules to Yami and Mokuba until they had five. Yami's Capsule Monster line up was three Level 1 monsters, a Level 2 monster and a Level 4 monster. Mokuba's line up was three Level 5 monsters and two Level 4 monsters. Yugi knew he was cheating somehow to get stronger monsters than them but he didn't say a word, knowing Yami will find a way to defeat him.

Mokuba snickered softly under his breath. _'Aha...looks like the battle's over before it even started! The machine was rigged! I even paid "Dentures" to act his part...! Heh heh heh...'_ he thought.

"But before we get going...this game needs some danger to make it interesting! If you lose, I will cut off Yugi's fingers with this!" he said, holding a dagger up in his view. Yugi gulped in fear and Yami wrapped his arm firmly around him more. "Alright! And if I win...you have to play a penalty game as punishment!" Yami said and Mokuba nodded.

_Before you start the game, you place your capsules anywhere on your side of the field. However, the only thing you know about your opponent's monsters is the level on their capsule! The starting layout strongly influences the outcome of the game, so experience and instinct are crucial in placement! With a signal to start, the capsules are removed..._

"Let's go, Yami! Game Start!" he said and they removed the capsules from their monsters. Mokuba's monster were a Cobrada - Level 4, The Skull - Level 4, Dinosaur Wing - Level 5, Gumbo - Level 5 and Head Sucker - Level 5.

Yami's monsters were Devil Castle - Level 1, Flower Man - Level 1, Eye Mouth - Level 1, Torigun - Level 2 and Great Pa - Level 4.

"I'll go first!" Mokuba called. _'Man, Yami's layout is like a beginner!'_ he thought as he saw Yami had four monsters group together while the last was separated far away from them.

"Just so you know, this is a yami no game!"

"Hmph! I knew this game would be special! I'll make sure to attack you right away!" He said as he moved his Gumbo forward. "I'll meet you head on!" Yami spoke, moving Eye Mouth forward.

"Stupid! You came at me with a low level monster!" Mokuba said, laughing. "I'll show you who the better player is! Fight!" he said and soon, a mist surrounded their monsters and Gumbo lifted its axe and slice Eye Mouth in half.

Mokuba bellowed in laughter. "One down! Four to go!" he said and Yami only laughed, confusing him. "Wh-what are you laughing at?! You're the one who lost!" he said. Yami smirked, showing his fangs and scaring the kids more. "I'll teach you a few rules of gaming! No matter what the circumstances, always act like you have the upper hand! That's Rule Number 1!"

"Y-you think you can teach me?!" Mokuba yelled, standing up in his seat. "Rule Number 2! Stay cool at all times!" he said once more and Mokuba growled. "Now, I'll go on the offensive." he spoke, moving Great Pa to attack Cobrada. The snake monster hissed and slammed his monster away but was hit by the monster's sword, destroying them both. "They killed each other!"

Yami snorted by Yugi looked worried. "Yami, you have three monsters now and he has four! Are you sure you can make a strategy out of this?" he asked and he nodded. "Don't worry. You won't be losing any of your delicate fingers, love." he whispered, moving his arm down to twine their fingers together and Yugi let out a soft breath of relief. "Moron! If I lost one monster, I'm still totally going to beat you!" he jeered, moving his Dinosaur Wing to stand in front of his Flower Man. "Fight!"

Dinosaur Wing let out a mighty breath of fire and burned his Flower Man away. "Dead! You only have two monsters left!" he cheered mockingly.

"For my next move...Devil Castle runs away to the left." he said, looking uncertain. Mokuba laughed. "You think I'll let you get away! I'll follow and eat you right up!" he said, moving Head Sucker to attack Devil Castle and a huge bite easily destroy the low level monster. Mokuba didn't bother to hide his laugh. "You only have one monster left! And I've got four! You can't fight them all!" He gloated. "I win!"

Yami only smirked, snickering under his breath. Mokuba sneered. "What so funny?! Don't tell me that laugh's a rule too!" he spoke. "No...this is a laugh of victory since you played right into my trap and falling for my tricks."

**_'What?'_**

"Take a very good look at your monsters' positions on the field." he whispered and Mokuba looked down, seeing that they were all lined up. "Th-they're lined up diagonally!" he said in fear.

"And my last monster...the Torigun...since it's low level, it can't make sharp turns, and it's terrible at close combat but it has one special talent...once per game, it can defeat any number of enemies, even Level 5 ones, in a diagonal super attack!"

_'No! Th...That's...Yami sacrificed all of his monsters but one...! Just to draw my four into a line...!'_

"Would you like to do the honors of finishing him off, love?" Yami asked, looking down to Yugi, and he nodded. "Go, Torigun! Whirlwind Razor Beak Slash!" Yugi commanded and Torigun came to life, flapping its wings before drilling through Mokuba's monsters. "Hold your trump card 'till the end! Rule Number 3! Remember it well!" he said as Yugi clapped his hands happily that Yami won.

_'I lose...me?!'_

"Now, time for your penalty game!" he said, Sennen Eye blazing brightly upon his head as his eyes flashed dangerously. Mokuba gulped in fear and soon saw a capsule materialize over him. "Wh-What's going on! A capsule over my head!" he cried. _'This is what my brother was so interested in! Making penalty games come to life!'_ he pondered. But he only laughed insanely, looking to them. "Yugi...nii-sama's revenge towards them is well underway! The secret project Death-T is coming!" he said.

_'Death-T?'_ Yugi thought, worried by the title of the project. Yami snarled and walked over, slamming the capsule over him. "Too bad, but you aren't a match for me! Think about that while you're trapped in your capsule!" he hissed and called for Yugi who ran over him and with a short kiss, they both disappeared back home. Mokuba cried out when he got trapped. "It's dark! I can't move! I'm scared! Nii-sama! _Help me!_" he shouted as the kids tried to pry the lid of the capsule off.

_"We can play again later...when you learn the rules of the game..."_ Yami's voice haunted in Mokuba's mind as he screamed, trying to get out of the capsule.

0

Zypher: And there's Mokuba's debut! Hungry for revenge just like his brother! He may have seen Yami's wrath but that won't stop him! He will be back and with an even deadlier challenge than before as you all know. Well, hope you all like the chapter and the next chapter will be here soon along with a very dominating Yugi/Yami and Yugi/Aqua one-shot gift fic for Red Dragon of Egypt who caught the 100th review kiriban! I'm thinking about making the next one around 115-120 reviews so keep them coming and I'll see you all later!


	23. Russian Roulette Dinner

Zypher: Hello again and here's another chapter to our all favorite story! Glad you all enjoyed the last chapter and as always, enjoy this one as well.

0

Yami no Game: Death's Awakening

Chapter 23

0

After school, Yugi was leaving out with Jou. Yami and Aqua waited outside for them and before they could head to the arcade like they planned, a limo drove up and stopped before them. The driver got out and looked to them before bowing. "Yugi-sama, Yami-sama and Aqua-sama I presume." he spoke and Yugi nodded. "Yeah. What do you want?" Jou demanded, already having a gut feeling that something bad will happen. "Seto-sama cordially requests your presence at his home."

"Kaiba!" Yami hissed. "We're not going." he continued. "But it would be an honor if you could come." The driver said. "No, we're not going. We had enough with Kaiba." Aqua muttered. The driver sighed as he looked to them. "Then I guess I'll have to resort to force." he said and before they could retaliate, a strong metal muzzle came out the open window and locked around Yami's mouth and Aqua's snout. Metal rings also came out and wrapped around them, making them immobile. They snarled as they tried to break free but even with the slightest signs of struggling sent a very strong jolt to them.

"Yami! Aqua!" Yugi cried. _'How could he figure out the levels of their strength and made something to trap them?!'_ he pondered to himself.

"Are you going to come now? Seto-sama wouldn't like to wait any longer."

Knowing that they couldn't break free without knocking themselves unconscious, Yugi sighed and nodded. "Fine, we'll go." The driver nodded and opened the back door, letting Yugi, Jou, Yami and Aqua climb inside before shutting the door and heading back to the driver's seat, driving off towards the mansion. "Why is Kaiba inviting us to his house again?" Jou pondered. "Well, he hasn't been at school recently..." Yugi said, thinking about what Mokuba told them yesterday.

_"...nii-sama's revenge towards them is well underway! The secret project Death-T is coming!"_

_'Maybe it has something to do with that Death-T project he told us about.'_ he thought. "Yes...Seto-sama has been busy..." The driver spoke. "He and Ruby-sama has been working on an important project. They are the presidents of Kaiba Corp." he continued.

"What?! The presidents of Kaiba Corp! That's the biggest amusement company in the business! But they're still in high school!" Jou exclaimed. Yugi, never hearing of this, asked Jou about it. "It's one of the top companies in the world in the toy and game business!" he explained. _'So, that's why Kaiba is so proud of being a great gamer and is having such a hard time accepting his defeat against Yami.'_ Yugi thought.

/Well, that explains a lot./ Yami spoke.

/Yeah. Now we know the big reason behind Kaiba trying to defeat you again. So he can reclaim his title as the greatest gamer and not tarnish his company's image with his loss against you./ Yugi responded.

"And I'm the vice president!" Mokuba quipped, looking into the back and shocking Yugi. /I thought he was still trap in the penalty game you gave him./ he said.

/The magic wears off after a good few hours but that magic we used on his still emanates from him to tell us whether he learns his lesson or not./ Yami spoke, looking to him.

/And did he learn that lesson?/ Yugi asked.

/No./

"It's been a while, Yugi! I did have fun the other day..." he said and Aqua snorted. "I didn't tell you my name last time. It's Mokuba. Mokuba Kaiba!" he said, a dark gleam in his eyes and Yugi shifted in his seat a little until he felt the comforting weight of Aqua and Yami's tails wrapped around his waist to soothe him.

_'I had a bad feeling about this ever since yesterday...these brothers don't like Yami and Aqua at all, or at least Kaiba and Mokuba don't like them, and they're throwing everything at them just to defeat them.'_ he thought. "Hey Yugi...relax! You're going to get the V.I.P. treatment when we get to the mansion!" Mokuba said.

"The project my big brothers were working on is finished. The opening ceremonies are tomorrow."

"Open ceremonies...?" Yugi questioned. "Heh heh. So anyway...my thoughtful, considerate nii-sama wanted his four friends to be the first to enjoy it. So he's giving you a special invitation...which includes the pre-opening celebration tonight!" he explained. "What's this project all about?" he questioned. "That's a secret...you'll have to wait to find out!" he said, snickering under his breath. _'This is it, Yugi...this project is our revenge on you and your demons! This is "Death-T!" '_ he thought menacingly.

Soon, they were in front of the Kaiba mansion, the driver indicating so and they climbed out, Mokuba taking a key to unlock the rings around Yami and Aqua but didn't bother to remove the muzzles which caused them to growl. They walked inside and they were greeted by the servants, the head butler standing in front of them all. "You are Seto-sama and Ruby-sama's school friends, Yugi-sama, Yami-sama and Aqua-sama, are you not?" The butler asked and Yugi nodded. "Seto-sama has ordered us to make your stay as pleasant as possible." he told them.

Mokuba looked to the butler after he was done speaking with them. "Hey, where are my brothers anyway?" he asked. "Yes...they retired to their rooms a while ago..."

"What's their problem!" Jou fumed.

"Why aren't they here for the pre-opening celebrations?" Yugi questioned, having a feeling something may go bad.

"Sorry 'bout this, Yugi...looks like my big brothers won't be able to see you, Yami and Aqua for a while." Mokuba said, looking to him. "So tonight you're my guests! I'll take good care of you!" he said happily.

/As if./ Aqua murmured through the link.

"Mokuba-sama..." The butler called. "Shall we prepare a meal...?" he asked. "Yeah! That sounds good! I'm starving!" Jou exclaimed. "Really?! Why didn't you say something! I'll treat you to the best food in the world!" Mokuba quipped.

"Wow! The best in the world! I wonder if it'll be gourmet food." Jou questioned, looking to Yugi. Yugi couldn't deny he was hungry and the thought of food making Yami and Aqua hungry as well but he still had a suspicious feeling about it all. "You! Prepare the special course!" Mokuba told the butler. "Yes sir!" he said. "We will serve it at once!" he said as he turned away and walked off.

Mokuba laughed softly under his breath as he walked off, taking a glance back at Yugi and Jou, who was still talking adamantly about the food they were going to get. "We're both going to enjoy this..." he whispered. _'No one beats Mokuba Kaiba at Capsule Monster Chess...or nothing else! Tonight it's payback, Yami! To you, Aqua, your friend and your lover!'_ he thought.

0

Once everything was set up, they headed into the dining room and sat down. "Dinner is served!" Mokuba said cheerfully but they only looked down at what was presented in confusion. _'Ugh! I was hoping for some fantastic cooking, but this is...a sundae, a hamburger, a kiddie lunch, pancakes...just what a spoiled kid would think of!'_ Jou thought.

"What do you think? Doesn't it look good?" he questioned, still acting cheerful while Aqua was looking down at what they were given in slight disdain. "Don't hold back, dig in..." he said, looking to them. "...That's what I'd like to say, but that wouldn't be_interesting_! What do you think about playing a little game?"

"A game?" Yugi repeated, the feeling of dread growing more.

"Yes, a game. See this circle. It's a turntable like they use at Chinese restaurants! The five of us take turns spinning the table! Then we eat the food that's in front of us!" he explained. "A little problem with that if you're planning to let Yami and Aqua play the game." Yugi responded, pointing to them who still had the muzzles over their mouths which they didn't bother to remove for the sake of keeping Yugi and Jou safe. "Oh right! Forgotten all about that!" he said, throwing him a key which he took. "But wait 'til we start the game first." he said.

Jou looked back down to the food. "There isn't any poison in the food, is it?" he asked jokingly.

"Ha ha! That would be rude! I'd never do that to a guest! Actually, there's a wonderful treasure hidden in these dishes! The person who finds it, wins!"

"Alright then! Let's do it!"

"Then you can start, Jounouchi!"

"Ok then! Let's go!" he said, spinning the turntable. It finally slowed to a stop and the kiddie lunch was in front of him. "Ack! The kiddie lunch!" he said in disdain. "You have to clean your plate, Jounouchi! That's the rules of the game! And you might find the treasure!" he said. "I get it!" Jou muttered, picking up his fork and started eating.

"Hey, this isn't bad!" he said as his finished what was on his plate. It was a few seconds before Jou slumped in his seat, eyes closed. "Jou! Jou, speak to me!" Yugi cried as Yami and Aqua looked to him in shock before growling as they looked to Mokuba.

"Bingo! Looks like you got the prize, Jounouchi!"

"Y-you mean..." Yugi started and Mokuba cut him off. "No, there isn't poison. Instead, there's a fast acting sleeping drug in the food but you won't know which one it is. I wish I could've added poison but you never know when Yami and Aqua may lose a game and nii-sama would kill me if I killed Jounouchi." he spoke.

"What do you mean?"

"No reason to tell you! But either way, I call this game "Russian Roulette Dinner!" 'Cause if you eat the wrong thing, you'll be asleep for a very long time until you die!"

/Russian roulette? He's trying to kill us, love./ Yami spoke. /I know./ he said back and looked down to Jou. "If you want to save Jounouchi, then you got to win and get this antidote! But if you lose, you'll be the ones sleeping and Seto will probably wake up Jounouchi when he wants to." Mokuba said and Yugi's eyes narrowed. Yami snarled as he reached up, trying to remove the muzzle, his hands transforming into claws and his wings appearing on his back. Aqua was doing the same, also reverting into his demon form and Mokuba watched with curiosity and glee.

Yami roared and he crushed the metal in his claws, ripping it from his mouth and throwing it, surprising Mokuba since he thought he gotten the strongest metal that even he couldn't easily break. Aqua also crushed his muzzle and threw away the remains, glaring at Mokuba. "Mokuba, this time you're **dead**!" he hissed.

He only laughed. "Big words...there are only 9 dishes left...and there's three more prizes among them. It's your move!" he said, looking to him. He snorted and spun the table, watching at it spun until it stopped on the dish of spaghetti. "Well well! Spaghetti...eat up, Aqua! Like they say in Italy...Mangia! Mangia!" Mokuba said. He growled and looked down to Yugi for a little help since they never used any utensils when they ate and he moved over to his side, taking the fork and plate and feeding Aqua silently. "Aww! Isn't that cute!" Mokuba taunted with a laugh.

Yami snarled, glaring at him before turning back to Aqua who finished the last bite of the spaghetti and Yugi returned to his seat. "You're safe! The drug wasn't in the spaghetti!" he spoke and Aqua let out a quiet sigh of relief. "Aqua! How was that?! Was it tasty?! A meal where you could live or die! After you eat, you must be thinking "Boy, I'm glad I didn't die!" " he continued, still laughing. "This meal makes you enjoy the experience of living. That makes it 'The best meal in the world!' "

/We don't have long. We need to save Jou./ Yugi told them and they nodded as Yugi turned to table and ate the piece of cake that landed in front of him, glad there wasn't a sleeping drug in it. Yami took his turn, finishing the chicken quickly before looking to Mokuba.

"My turn." he said, touching the syrup bottle secretly before spinning the table. It stopped and Mokuba grinned. "Chocolate parfait! My favorite!" he squealed as he ate the dessert happily, making sounds of satisfaction as he ate. /Hmm, that's odd, Mokuba isn't nervous at playing this game./ Yugi pointed out.

/He must be using a trick somehow and I think I know. If it wasn't a trick of the light, I think he touched that bottle beside him before spinning the table./ Yami explained. "Hey, Mokuba. What's in that bottle?" Yami questioned. "Ehh...Ahh, this is...It's a syrup bottle! There are pancakes, aren't there?" he stuttered, confirming what he thought.

"Then why is it empty?"

Mokuba snickered. "I'll tell you why...because this bottle will be filled for the first time as soon as you three eat the sleeping drug! Like they say..."The suffering of others makes the sweetest syrup!" " he said darkly. Yami snorted. "And here what we say...The suffering of another in our penalty games makes the sweetest of meals for us and, unfortunately, if you weren't Kaiba's brother, you will be losing your flesh to us for an after dinner snack and I have heard that children's flesh is a sweet meal." Yami murred, a glint in his eyes as his tongue flicked over his fangs which made Mokuba flinch a little.

_'I guess I can be glad for that. I rather die of poison than to be ripped apart by demons!'_ he thought before looking to Aqua. "Now, it's your turn again!" he said. _'But I'm even more happy that I was able to bluff through about the bottle...it's actually a switch. It lets me stop the table wherever I want...This game end in the next three turns, leaving Yugi to be the last to eat the sleeping drug!'_

_'The hamburger, strawberry ice cream and chicken soup...next time they will stop in front of each of you!'_ he thought. Yami knew the bottle was the switch and whispering the plan to Aqua and Yugi through the link, they nodded discreetly, ready to start their little plan. Aqua looked to Mokuba. "Alright! Let's finish this in one go!" he said, Yugi quickly tying the Sennen Puzzle onto a small handle while Aqua had Mokuba's attention on him, and spun the table.

"On the next turn, let us all eat the dishes that ends up in front of us." Mokuba agreed. "Alright then." he spoke. _'Fool! You can spin the table as hard as you like, but the drugged soup, ice cream and hamburger is landing in front of you three! As long as I have this switch!'_ he thought until he saw the switch break. _'Wha...! It broke! But how?!'_

Yami smirked. _'Now you can't cheat. The game is up to luck now and with how spaced out we are from each other, I'm sure we have a better chance of the drugged food not landing in front of us.'_ Yami thought. The table slowed to a stop and in front of Yami was the pancakes, in front of Yugi was the pizza and in front of Aqua was a salad which he blanched at until Yugi offered to take the salad for his pizza which he agreed to.

But in front of Mokuba was the drugged hamburger. "No! The drugged hamburger stopped in front of me!" he exclaimed. _'This is impossible! Why did the switch break?!'_he wondered in shock. He looked down and gaped. _'W-when did he...? How did he...? Yugi attached his pendant to the turntable...I hate you, Yugi!'_ he thought in anger as he looked back up and saw they were done, Yugi sitting upon Yami's lap and wiping his mouth with a napkin happily as Aqua smirked at Mokuba. "We've finished our food...since there's nothing wrong with us, we must've missed the drugged food." he said, looking down to what remained.

"Now...as your rules state, weren't you to clean your plate?" he spoke, grinning as he heard him growl. "Ok! Ok! I'll eat it!" he said, scarfing the hamburger and before he could finish the last bite, he slumped onto the table, catching the butler and servants' attention.

"I'll guess we'll be heading to our rooms then. Love, get the antidote and give it to Jou." Aqua said and he nodded as he jumped up and grabbed the vial off the table. He ran over to Jou and uncorked the vial. He lifted his head and poured the contents into his mouth. He coughed a bit before he soon starting snoring, showing he was at true sleep and not by the drug.

Aqua walked over and hefted him onto his shoulder before a servant made a move to lead them to their rooms while the butler ran to get another vial of antidote for Mokuba.

_'So tomorrow this mysterious project finally starts...what do you have up your sleeve this time Kaiba...'_ Aqua thought.

0

Zypher: And that's it for this one. Before you ask if you didn't figure it out, the reason why I had it at 10 dishes instead of 6 just to make it even at the start before Jou was knocked out. You all know it would be pointless to have five people playing with only 6 dishes, technically two when you knock out the three that would be laden with the sleeping drug for Yami, Yugi and Aqua and the one Jou ate. Anyways, I know you'll all probably love this chapter so keep enjoying them and I'll get the next one up soon. See you later.


	24. Start of Death T

Zypher: And here with are with the next chapter and the start of Death-T! Man, I am finally happy to get here and yet sad since after this, there will be a few more chapters with other yami no games then Monster World and that will be it for this story pretty much except for the epilogues. I was going to make the epilogues basically ideas, including my own, that those who hit the kiriban for reviews have but I might make an exception depending on you readers.

If there's an idea, any one that may have popped into your mind as you read this story, tell me in your reviews and I'll write it up for an epilogue. At the most, there will be only four or five epilogues before the story is done completely and I get started on Yami no Game: Dark Saga which is the sequel. Anyways, glad you enjoyed the last chapter and hoped you'll enjoy this one.

0

Yami no Game: Death's Awakening

Chapter 24

0

In his room, Kaiba twisted and turned as he slept, a nightmare plaguing his dreams.

-Nightmare-

Kaiba, looking like his younger self, was running, running through a shadow laden room. A roar was heard behind him and he turned back just enough to see the Blue Eyes White Dragon trailing behind him, beating mighty wings as it flew. He continued to run until he tripped and fell, landing hard on the ground. He groaned as he sat back up and realized someone was in front of him. He looked up more to see Yami's eyes glaring down at him and he tried to move away only to stop as he touched the cool scales of the Blue Eyes' talons.

_"Kaiba, you think you could get anything you want by harming others. You are such a naive child and you will pay dearly for trying to take what didn't belong to you and hurting someone in the process."_ Yami hissed as he walked closer, fangs gleaming in the dark. Kaiba quickly got up and ran from the Blue Eyes who roared its fury but he continued to run.

_"You can't escape, Kaiba! You can't escape your punishment! The Gates of Darkness are opening and you won't be able to flee any longer!"_

-End Nightmare-

He shot up in his bed, a cold sweat sheen plastered on his face. He breathed deeply, trying to get the nightmare clear from his mind. "It's always the same...That same dream..." he whispered, still breathing harshly.

He got up and went over to his window, opening it and looked out to the sunny morning. The door opened and the butler walked inside. "Ohayou gozaimasu, Seto-sama..." he spoke. "As you requested, Yugi, his friend and two demon lovers spent the night at the mansion..."

"I see..." He snapped closed his metal briefcase and stood up straight as his butler placed on an elegant robe over his outfit after he changed. "I had planned to give them a special welcome, but Ruby and I couldn't stay awake..." He sighed lightly. "There are some nights when you can hardly wait until morning comes. How ironic to have that dream again last night." he whispered. _'But after this is over, I'll never have that nightmare again...'_

_'Yami and Aqua...Death-T starts today!'_

0

Yugi, Yami, Aqua and Jou sat in the dining room once more. Yami and Aqua were silent and Yugi asked if Jou felt any better from last night. "Yeah, I feel great. A good night's sleep was all I needed." he told him and he nodded. "But I do hate staying at Kaiba's house, though! Makes me feel like I owe him a favor or something!"

Yugi nodded in agreement. "I just hope Jii-chan isn't worried. I was out all night and didn't call him once..."

Jou agreed before changing the subject. "Hey Yugi...what's with this "open ceremony" that's supposed to be today?"

"Dunno. Mokuba didn't say anything about it last night. Said it was a secret." Yugi spoke, not mentioning anything about him becoming a victim to his deadly roulette game. "But I do have a bad feeling about it and so does Yami and Aqua." he continued. "I can see that. They are pretty silent about this." Jou pointed out.

"At the moment, right now, it feels like we're in a jail. Like those guards are guarding us so we won't escape the mansion...and they locked us in." he said, looking to Yugi. _'Yeah, and with their show of strength last night, who knows if they created something while we were sleeping to prevent Yami and Aqua getting us out.'_ Yugi thought.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. Seto-sama and Ruby-sama will see you now." The butler spoke as he walked in and they turned to look up at Kaiba and Ruby who were standing at the top of the stairs. Kaiba smiled warmly as he looked to them. "Good to see you, Yugi! I've missed you so much!" he said happily. /Must be a trick./ Yami growled through the link and Yugi nodded. "Why the long faces? It's been so long since we've seen you...come on! Let's have some fun together!" he said as he walked down with Ruby trailing behind him.

"Cut the crap, Kaiba! You forced us to come here! And your brother almost killed us!" Aqua shouted. "Mokuba...? That was wrong of him to do...but boys will be boys, you'll have to forgive him for his little games."

"You don't get killed by "little games"!"

Yugi silenced Aqua and he snarled as he sat back down, getting up earlier from his outburst. He cooed softly through the link to him, rubbing his snout as he looked back to Kaiba. "Where are you taking us?" Kaiba laughed under his breath. "A place you can only dream of!" he spoke before waving a hand to the door. "Well then...we're wasting time! We must leave at once!" he said and they got up to follow him out of the dining room and towards the front door. "I just can't wait for you three to see this, Yugi!" Kaiba spoke.

"Have a good trip, Seto-sama and Ruby-sama!" The servants chorused as they bowed when they walked by. The entered the limo and it started making it was to where the open ceremonies were to be held. "As you should know by now, both me and Ruby own Kaiba Corporation...we had to take over when our father, the founder, passes away weeks ago." Kaiba explained. "But our dream project is finally complete! I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as I have." he said, a hidden tone in his voice that they didn't notice.

"Look! You can see it from here!" he said. "Our tower of dreams that soars over Domino!"

Fireworks went off as they drew closer to the building and both Jou and Yugi looked to it in awe. "Wow! You actually built this skyscraper, Kaiba?!" Jou exclaimed. He nodded. "Yes! This is "Kaiba Land"! It's an indoor amusement park!" he explained as the limo stopped and they walked out. "We have been waiting for you, sir." The servant greeted as they walked towards the entrance.

"Look! It's Kaiba and Jewelstone! The Game Kings!"

"The world's two greatest gamers! They're my heroes!"

"Hello everyone! Welcome to the grand opening of Kaiba Land!" Kaiba announced to the children who cheered. "Man, the kids like him. I can understand Ruby, but Kaiba!" Jou whispered. "Yugi! Kaiba Land is scheduled to open in three days but...There's a special event today, so we're opening the door to certain children by invitation only before the official opening. For free of course!" He then looked back to them. "And I want you to have fun too!"

"I'll have fun once I rip that pretty little head from your shoulders." Aqua hissed and Yugi reprimanded him. "Maybe I'm worrying too much." Yugi said. Yami, Jou and Aqua were silent as he said this. _'I guess he's not as bad as I thought. If he keeps this up, maybe we could become friends.'_ Jou thought.

"Well then, everyone! We are open! Welcome to Kaiba Land!" he announced and he gained cheers from the children as they all ran to the entrance of the amusement park.

"Look in that corner! Video games!" One cheered.

"And 3D simulation rides!" Another kid cried.

"Do you see now, Yugi? Our dream is to open Kaiba Land all over the world for children everywhere to enjoy!" he said. /Maybe we did misunderstood him to some extent./ Yugi said to Yami and Aqua. /I'm about as sure as fire that this all must be a trick. You know he wants revenge on us. He may want to complete his dream, which our powers say is true, but he still doesn't want his company's image to be ruined. He has something planned and we have to be careful./ Yami responded.

"Fine by me! Let's go play too, Yugi!" Jou said. He thought about it, looking back to Yami and Aqua. They were about to respond when they heard a voice.

"I know what you did, Kaiba!" The man that appeared yelled. "You killed the CEO!" Kaiba's eyes darkened and Yami caught the look. /I knew it./

"You took over Kaiba Corp and drove the CEO, your own father, to commit suicide! You're the devil's incarnate!" he yelled. "Throw him out." Kaiba said to two guards. "Yes sir!" They both said, grabbing the man by his arms and dragged him out. "Let me go! He's the devil!" he continued to repeat as they dragged him out.

"He used to be our father's right-hand man...but now he's a worthless has-been. There have been many rumors...our father's death was a tragedy, but we had nothing to do with it. I think our father was able to die in peace knowing we would take over for him.." he lied, knowing the complete truth but wasn't planning on telling them.

"No expense was spared on Kaiba Land. Everything in the park is on the cutting edge of technology. Go ahead and try out 3D simulation rides!" They weren't told twice and both Jou and Yugi headed to one of the many rides there were in the park, amazed at the lifelike reality of the monsters. Once they were off, Kaiba led Yugi, Jou, Yami and Aqua off to another area. "If you think that was fun, the real fun has yet to come! What I'm about to show you is the biggest attraction of this opening ceremony! I've prepared a special show for you and your lovers, Yugi!"

"Just for…us?" He wondered. _'I think Yami may be right about him being up to something more than I thought.'_

"You didn't have to, really." he said. He then heard the sounds of cheering getting closer. "I can hear people cheering." Kaiba smirked softly as he looked down to the still clueless Yugi. "It's beyond these doors! After you! You've got reserved seats!"

Yami opened the door and Yugi walked in, hearing that the audience was cheering for Kaiba. "What the...?" Jou whispered. "It looks like an arena!" Yugi exclaimed. "And there's a cube in the middle!" he continued. "Yeah but look who's in the cube." Yami hissed. Yugi did as he was told and gasped. "Jii-chan!" Yugi cried. _'What is he doing here?!'_ he wondered, running over to the cube. "Jii-chan!" he called again.

He looked down to see him there. "Yugi!" he called back but neither could hear the other. "I can see his lips moving but I can't hear what he's saying!" Yugi cried. Yami and Aqua ran over and knowing they couldn't show their demon strength with so many people watching, they could only comfort him. "Yugi!" His jii-chan called again. _'It's no good! He can't hear me! Last night, Kaiba's men kidnapped me and brought me here...they said they'd kill Yugi if I didn't come along! Thank goodness he's safe!'_ he thought.

_'Yugi! Kaiba's up to something! Hopefully you figure out what before you are hurt.'_

"Jii-chan!" Yugi called, trying to get to the door of the cube but a guard blocked his way and backed him away from the dome. "Stay back!"

Kaiba soon walked in, making the crowd's cheers even louder. "No one can beat Kaiba at any game!" One of the crowd members said. _'Yugi...your demon lovers humiliated me at Duel Monsters and my Game Masters at their own games! The day has come to avenge that shame and defeat them once and for all!'_ Kaiba thought as he removed the robe. _'You will repay me with your death!'_

"Jii-chan!" Yugi cried.

"I knew it! What's he up to?!" Jou shouted.

"For your entertainment, you will now witness a match of world's #1 collectible card game, Duel Monsters! My challenger is this gentleman, Sugoroku Motou! He is said to be a game master who has never lost a duel!" Kaiba announced.

"Duel Monsters! Jii-chan and Kaiba?!"

They heard the raving of the children, thinking that Sugoroku wouldn't be able to win against Kaiba. _'Yugi...I will win!'_ Sugoroku thought, pulling out his deck. "He looks serious." Yugi murmured. "Let's hope that he can win. Knowing Kaiba, he will throw everything at him and if he uses a 3D simulator, he could be hurt." Yami responded. "Oh no." Yugi whimpered.

Kaiba walked into the cube dome and sat down. "Now old man...don't hold back! Hit me with your strongest cards!" Kaiba told him. "Don't worry, I plan to." he said back. _'My deck holds the strongest card on earth, the Blue Eyes White Dragon! The moment I draw that card, I win!'_ he thought. "Life point count at 2000, 40 cards in your deck!" Kaiba spoke. "Game Start!"

They watched as the duel commenced. Both fought at high levels but Yugi could see that his grandfather was starting to have problems with seeing the 3D realistic monsters. Even he was starting to make the audience think differently as he dueled. The duel continued on longer, Yugi still fearing the safety of his jii-chan. Sugoroku drew his card and saw it was the Blue Eyes White Dragon. "It's over, Kaiba. I win!" he said. "I've drawn the Blue Eyes White Dragon! When I put this card down, it's game over!"

Kaiba was expressionless but a glint in his eyes showed his surprise that he drew the card. "Then I...choose to play this card." he started, placing a card down which shocked Sugoroku. "And on the next turn..." he continued, placing another card down and soon, he had all three of his Blue Eyes out on the field. _'Three Blue Eyes White Dragon cards?!'_ Kaiba laughed as he watched his expression. _'I...I lose!'_

_'Oh no! Jii-chan lost!'_Yugi thought in fear.

"You should know only four of the Blue Eyes White Dragon cards are known to exist. Of course, they are in the hands of fanatic collectors around the world. Ruby and I searched them out...one in Germany, one in America, one in Hong Kong and you, old man! Of course, none of them agreed when I told them to hand it over...so I used a bit of force...I used all my wealth to force them into bankruptcy, or I made deals with the mafia...one of them even committed suicide!" he explained.

_'What a terrible man!'_ Sugoroku thought.

He took his card and held it in both hands. "This is your punishment for losing to me! And to your card for betraying me last time!" he snarled, ripping it in half. _'My Blue Eyes White Dragon...!'_ Kaiba laughed out loud as he looked down to him. "Now I'm the only one with this card in the entire world! And now, old man! I'll give you a penalty game!" he said and soon, the cube started to fill with dark mist until monsters of all kinds appeared, roaring and snarling as they advanced onto Sugoroku. He screamed in terror trying to get away from them.

Kaiba only laughed more as he watched with a sickening glee. "Now you'll know "death" by virtual reality!"

"Jii-chan!" Yugi cried, falling to his knees. /That bastard! He using our abilities to torture others./ Aqua hissed. /Yugi! We'll help your grandfather./ Yami said as they moved the guard that blocked them from coming any closer to the dome and ran over. They stopped thought as Kaiba walked out and looked to them. "Let him out, Kaiba!" Yami growled, keeping his instincts down so he wouldn't reveal them to the people around them. He only chuckled and didn't bother to respond to their wish.

"We've done human experiments in that simulator. We discovered that the average human goes insane in about 10 minutes. If we don't stop it soon, Yugi's grandfather will be destroyed..." Yami snarled, wishing he could attack him at the moment but held the urge down. "I only have one condition for stopping the simulator!

"You two and Yugi must swear to face the hidden attraction of Kaiba Land, "Death-T"! The theme park of death that I built to exact my revenge on you three!" he demanded. Yugi finally got up from his knees and ran over to them. Jou only stood off to the side, knowing if he got any closer to Kaiba, he may do something rash.

/We will have to do this. To save your grandfather, Yugi./ Yami told him.

/But what if what he has in this theme park of death is enough to kill you? I don't want to lose you or Aqua./ Yugi pleaded.

/We have to. It's either our safety or that of your grandfather's, Yugi./ Yugi knew Aqua was right and soon agreed. "We'll face Death-T." Yugi said softly. Kaiba chuckled again before turning to another guard. "Shut off the simulator." he said and the guard did as he was told. Yami ran in once the smoke cleared and helped the older man out of the dome. Yugi ran over as well, asking him if he was alright. "Y-Yugi...I'm sorry I lost..." he said, wheezing lightly. "Don't speak, jii-chan. You need to recover."

He shook his head lightly and looked to him. "He...he's a terrible person...he'll do anything to win a game...even taking a life of another..." he continued no matter how much Yugi begged for him to try and relax so he could recover.

"Yugi..." he whispered, holding his deck. "Th-These cards are the ones I used in my duel...I lost but I'm sure you or your two friends can used them to defeat him. These cards are my soul...I believe in you that you can defeat him." he spoke. Yugi nodded, gripping the cards as Jou ran over, saying that he called an ambulance and soon, the paramedics came and placed Sugoroku onto a stretcher.

Yami placed a hand upon Yugi's shoulder and he looked up to him. He could see the sadness and guilt in his eyes with the fact he couldn't do a thing to help his grandfather without revealing their powers. _'We'll defeat him. And we'll use the cards my jii-chan gave me to do so.'_ he thought. He turned to Kaiba when he heard him laugh. "Does your grandfather really think you could defeat me with those when he couldn't beat me with them himself?"

"I promised my jii-chan! I'll beat you with these cards!" Yugi said as he glared at him. He laughed again, pulling out his three Blue Eyes. "Oh you will, will you? I have three of the most powerful cards on earth, the Blue Eyes White Dragon! And you, you don't even have one!"

_'I know! You tore up jii-chan's Blue Eyes, coward! The card he loved most...the card of Jii-chan's heart!'_ he thought. "Don't worry. A rematch with one of your lovers is what I've wanted from the beginning but you could always take their place if you're so determined." Kaiba said. _'And this time, the probability of my winning is over 99 percent...'_

"The stage for our duel will be the dome at the top of the building! We're on the second floor now. Each deadly game you clear brings you closer to the top. But I'm sure you will never conquer Death-T! Not even your demons can get by without feeling some pain!"

"Kaiba! Count me in too! I'm not letting them go in alone! Who knows what kind of tricks you are up to!" Jou demanded as he stood beside them. _'Hmm, wasn't expecting him to join but I should've know he would protect his friends...just like a little puppy. Oh well, just need to change my calculations a bit.'_ Kaiba thought. "Listen Kaiba! I could you punch you in your lily white face right here and now! But that wouldn't mean anything! Yugi'll beat you at your card game! And I'll stake my life to make sure he along with Yami and Aqua get there!"

"Noble words, Jou. Thank you." Aqua said and he gave him a grin and a thumbs up. "Don't forget about me!" Another voice said and they turned to see Honda standing there. "Honda!" Jou exclaimed. "What's with the kid on your back?" he questioned after spotting the child. "Ah, this thing? My sister made me babysit her kid. He kept whining to go to Kaiba Land..." Honda explained. "Yaay! Kaiba's gonna win!" The baby cheered and Honda conked him over the head. "Shaddup, ya little brat!" he yelled. "Whoa, Honda! Don't make him cry!"

"That hurt, Hiroto! I'll tell mommy!"

"Just shut up!"

/They're doing all this for me. I can't thank them enough./ Yugi whispered to Yami. /We can think of a way to repay them back for sticking with us this far. Like Kaiba said, I'm just sure that he has something planned that could damage or kill us and I have a feeling he won't believe in those old folk cures for demons, vampires and the like./

/You're probably right. Just make sure you're careful./

"So let's start the game already!" Aqua said. "Fine. Open the gate of Death-T!" he commanded and a steel encased door with Death-T printed on it hissed as air was let out and the door slid open. "Step through the gate, Yugi! We're all waiting for you!" Some of the children in the audience started to beg about going into the attraction as well but Kaiba didn't pay no mind to them.

"Ready, everyone?" Yami asked and they nodded. They started walking towards the open gate and once they were inside, Kaiba said some parting words that they didn't care about and the doors slammed shut behind them.

0

Zypher: And that's all for this chapter. Now we're finally getting to the good part! Death-T is now underway and they're on their way to their first game. What tricks will Kaiba have up his sleeve this time? Well, you'll just have to find out in the next chapter but I hope you all enjoy this one. See you later.


	25. Stardust Shootout

Zypher: Hello all! Glad you enjoyed the last chapter and since I'm working on these chapters at the speed of a hare, here's the next one for you and the start of Death T-1! Enjoy.

0

Yami no Game: Death's Awakening

Chapter 25

0

They continued to walk down the tunnel, staying silent most of the way until Jou spoke up. "Hey...this feels creepy...and it's dark..."

"You're not scared, are you, Jou?" Honda taunted and Jou shook his head furiously.

"Man, how far does this tunnel go?"

"Where's the stupid game?" Jou groaned, already feeling tired with walking. They stopped when they reached a door labeled Death T-1. "Death T-1? Guess this is our first game." Aqua murmured. The doors opened and they walked in. After a while, there were sounds and the calls of "Emergency! Emergency!" going off.

"What's going on?!" Jou exclaimed, looking around. Soon, someone ran towards them. "Please, help me!" The person cried. When they realized who it was, they gasped. "Zella?!" They all, including Yami and Aqua, said in shock. "Whaa!" she cried when she noticed them. "What are you doing here?!"

"Hey, that's my line!" Jou growled, still in shock.

She sighed lightly, cat ears flicking lightly in the air. "I started working here after I lost my temporary job at Burger World..." she started to explain. "When did you start working at Burger World?" Honda questioned. "Not the time to ask that. Anyways, I lost my job from there since I punched out some guy who touched my butt." They were silent and she pouted, crossing her arms. "Not my fault, he started it. Anywho, I applied at Kaiba Land and they put me in this costume and made me the guide for this game." she finished. "But seeing you guys here surprised me."

"So, why did you yell 'help'?" Jou questioned.

"Duh! It's a part of the act for this game! After that, I say this line to the customer...! 'The enemy is about to blow up this space station! You are the only one who can save it! Put on your cyber-vests and defeat the intruders with your laser guns!'"

"No offense, Zella, but how can you act at a time like this?!"

"Hey! I practice hard! And there's no problem with acting!"

"Do you even know what this theme park is about? Actually, it may be best if you didn't know..." Jou murmured and that left her confused. "Anyway, the first game looks like a shootout!" he said, pointing out to the vests hanging on the wall. "Alrighty, everyone! Go ahead and grab a vest and a laser gun." Zella said and they each did so, placing the vest on but Honda had to take the kid off his back.

"Ok! The game is a shooting match, three against three and you can call back to switch if you need to. The battle takes place in the Electrical Field behind that door." Zella said, pointing to said door. "There's a sensor on the front of these cyber-vests! Aim for this spot! If the enemy's laser hits your sensor, you'll feel a light vibration over your whole body. The first team to lose all its members loses...then it's game over!" They nodded but Yugi had a feeling that Kaiba didn't make this game so simple and there's a trap behind it all.

Honda picked up the baby which he had to let sit on the floor while he was placing on his vest. "Hey Zella, mind watching him?" he asked. "Whoa! Is he yours?" she questioned. "No! My sister made me watch her kid." he said and she nodded as she took him from Honda. He cooed softly and she smiled but she grimaced, her tail fluffing up in shock as the baby nuzzled himself comfortably on her chest. "Ok, kid's a perv..." she murmured. "Ok, me, Honda and Jou will go. Yami, Aqua, you stay back here for now." Yugi said and they nodded.

Aqua leaned down and nuzzled him. "Be safe out there, koi." he whispered and Yugi kissed his snout softly, nodding before they went through the door. "Good luck!" Zella called before she handed the kid to Aqua who felt a bit awkward holding him but stayed silent.

0

In another room, Kaiba viewed their location and glared at the suit that stood next to him. "Who hired that girl!? She was one of their friends!" Kaiba hissed. "My apologies sir." The man said. "Ah well..."

"Death T-1, Stardust Shootout! They've entered the Electrical Field!"

"Is our team ready?" Kaiba questioned.

"Yes sir! We have prepared a special team to face the three of them along with the demons! Each one is a pro in his field!" Kaiba looked over the info that showed up on screen and nodded. "It's all over already, Yugi. The guns I've given you are mere toys...but if the lasers that these three hold hit the sensor on your cyber-vest, you'll get shocked with a million volts!" he said. "I'll be watching you and your demons play this death game, Yugi...and nothing will give me more pleasure!" he said, laughing before turning to the suit.

"But before they get onto the field, tell them to not aim for the blond hair boy at all cost! If they do, I'll deal with them myself!" The suit nodded and contacted them before they could get onto the field and repeated Kaiba's orders.

0

The three men that were hired were at the door on their side, ready to enter the field. "Heh heh...Sure was nice of Kaiba boy to put a bounty on their heads!" Johnny Gayle, one who was experienced at guerrilla warfare, spoke. "$10,000 each with a bonus on the dragon and that wild-haired kid's look-alike! Piece of cake!" Bob McGuire, another who was experienced at long distance sniping said.

"Of course, I'll finish all of them on my own..." The last, who didn't have a name but was a trained assassin, whispered. "I'm gonna enjoy this!" Johnny said as they started walking in.

"Are you guys ready?" Jou asked and they nodded. Before they could start, the floor lit up and Kaiba's image appeared on the floor. "Hello again, Yugi! Welcome to Death T-1, the first game of the theme park! The three enemies you are about to face are mercenaries I've hired special for this game! If you're lucky, you'll die in a blaze of glory like a shooting star across the sky!"

"Listen up, moneybags! Your games suck! We're going to make it to the top!" Jou snarled. "So much energy you have. I'll deal with that later." Kaiba said with a chuckle. "What was that!?" he growled but Kaiba only chuckled again. _'The guns I've given you are mere toys...but what you don't know is the mercenaries have real lasers! When they hit the sensor on your chest, you'll be shocked with a million volts...'_ he thought. "Enjoy your last game and don't leave Yami and Aqua out on the fun." he said before the floor went blank and looked normal.

"Alright! Concentrate everyone!" Jou said.

"Kaiba will do anything to win! The enemy will be tough!" Yugi said, thinking that they should've called Yami or Aqua to be part of the team as well.

"No problem here! I'm an ace with model guns. When I was a kid, I could hit a 100 yen piece with a BB gun at 50 feet!" Honda said. "Game Start!" A mechanical voice echoed and they started to make their move along with the mercenaries. Yugi and his team ducked low, looking around the corners for any sign of the other team.

"How should we deal with those kids?" One asked.

"I'm the expert at guerrilla warfare! Leave it to me! I'll pull a surprise attack and take out two of them in an instant which will leave those bonus bounties easy preys!" Johnny said. "They're amateurs. They'll be scared stiff when I jump right out in front of them. A game like this is nothing to someone with real combat experience on the field!" he continued and was soon on the move.

"Shee-oot...showoff wants the bounty all to himself." Bob grunted. Yugi and the other still stayed behind the large wall that acted as their shield, still trying to seek out the other team. "Hey! What are we waiting around here for?!" Jou whispered frantically. "Idiot! Stay still! Let them make the first move!" Honda growled back. Jou sulked and laid back. _'In tight quarters like these, you only move forward when you secure a good position! That's a sure survival technique!'_Honda thought to himself.

_'I agree with Honda's plan! If we stay here, the enemy will come to us!'_ Yugi thought.

_'No way! I can't stand sneaking around! A real man faces his enemy head on! I've had enough of this!'_ Jou thought and got up, clambering up onto the wall.

"Ack!"

"Jou!"

Once he was on the top, he grinned. "Yeah! Now I have room to fight!" he cheered. "Here I come!" He started jumping from wall to wall, looking for the enemy. "Jou!" Yugi cried. "That moron!" Honda growled, both worried about him being taken out by the other team. Johnny was still sneaking around, low to the ground when he heard footsteps above him. "Huh...?" He looked up and gaped when he saw Jou standing above him.

"Found one!"

"What?!" Johnny exclaimed. _'He thought up an attack even more surprising than mine!'_

Jou held the gun up, aiming directly for the sensor and Johnny did the same. _'But I'm the one with weapons training. I can draw a bead first!'_ he thought, not caring about what Kaiba commanded them to do when it came to Jou. To him, money is money no matter the target. "Die!" he growled but wasn't expecting a foot to be smashed into his face. He fell back onto the floor, losing a few teeth as he looked to him. "K-kamikaze boy..." he wheezed. "My way is faster!" Jou grinned.

"He did it!" Yugi cheered.

"That idiot...he got one of them..." Honda said, still appalled.

"No way! They got Johnny!"

"Get them!"

Shots were fired and Jou dodged them as he ran back to where the others were. "Alright! They've shown themselves! You be the decoy, Jou!" Honda shouted. "I'll finish them off!" he said, aiming for Bob who was out in the open. "He's in my sights...now!" He fired a shot and it hit the sensor but it didn't do anything. _'Huh...? That's weird...I hit him dead on...'_ he thought.

Jou finally made it to a wall and hid behind it, Yugi looked over to him. "Are you ok, Jou?" he asked. "No problemo! I'm good!" he said, still gulping in air. Yugi nodded and turned to look out from the corner of the wall. "I'll help too!" he said, shooting at them but kept missing. The shootout continued until Honda dodged a hit and it grazed his shoulder. "Ow..." he hissed as electricity sputtered from the damaged shoulder plate. _'Wh-what the...? I got shocked!'_ he thought and then looked down to his gun, examining it closely.

"Man, this is bad! If they come any closer, I won't be able to keep covering the sensor on my chest!" Jou said. "I keep missing!" Yugi said sadly as he continued to shoot from his place. "Yugi! Jou! We have to pull back!" Honda called. "What! Run away?!" Jou said from his spot. _'There's something wrong with this game!'_ Honda thought.

Back inside, Yami, Aqua and Zella were watching the battle from the screen. "They got one of the enemy, they're ahead now." Aqua murmured, surprised at Jou's form of attack but was glad he was able to get away. The baby grinned slightly, in the mood to taunt the older and looked to him. "Hey, Aqua was it? Let's ditch those guys and go to the park for a date or something." he said and Aqua looked down to him, eye twitching. "Mind you, I already have someone." he grumbled. "What is your name anyway?"

"My name? I'm Johji! Good to meet you! Y'know, there's this cool milk stand in the park...whatcha think...?"

"No thanks. Zella, will you take him back?" Aqua pleaded. She looked to him and thought she saw him shivering visibly. "What's wrong? He's only a baby."

"Well, I'm not the kind of person to take care of children." he said, freezing as Johji nuzzled him. Yugi, Honda and Jou soon came back in, surprising Zella. "Honda! Why are we running away?! It's not cool to show your back to the enemy!" Jou snipped to him. "Hey! You guys can't leave in the middle of the game!" Zella confirmed but Honda had an expressionless gleam in his eye and Yugi was worried.

"Honda, is something wrong?"

"Yugi...this game is rigged!"

"What?!"

Honda threw his gun to the ground. "Our guns are useless! There's no way how we can win!" he told them. "I knew it!" Yami hissed, staying quiet for the long run but hearing this made him angry. "What a lousy trick...and it's all because of Kaiba! That sonofa-" Honda started.

Aqua walked over to stand next to Zella and Johji, angry that Honda was talking bad about Kaiba, reached over and took Zella's gun from her holster and pointed it at him. "You big bully! Not only do you interrupt my time with Aqua here," Johji started, getting an undignified squawk from him.

"Now you're talking bad about Kaiba! I won't let you get away with it!" he cried, shooting the gun at them randomly. Aqua grabbed the gun from his hands and held him by the back of his one-piece pajamas but looked up when he saw that one of the sensors from the spare cyber-vests was hit and it let out a big shockwave.

The others saw this as well and Yugi gasped. "What the…! There was an electric shock when that laser hit the sensor on that spare vest!" Honda growled. _'If that was one of us...'_ Yugi thought, not bearing to continue the train of thought. "Let me see that gun, Aqua." Honda asked and he handed it to him. He picked up the one on the floor and looked at them closely. "I knew it! Zella's gun and our guns look the same, but are built completely different!" he said. "So that's it! Those mercenaries have **_real_** laser guns! They're got actual lethal weapons!"

"And Kaiba probably didn't know Zella was hired for this job so the person that gave it to her gave her a real laser gun!" Jou spoke. "That's it, I quit!" Zella huffed, tail flicking behind her angrily. Yami walked over and took the gun from Honda. "But at least we have one gun we can face them with. Kaiba wasn't expecting this so he gave us the upper hand for this game." he said. "Are you sure, Yami? I don't want you to get hurt out there." Yugi said, walking over to him. "Don't worry, koi. I'll need your and Aqua's help anyway." he whispered.

He looked back to Jou, Honda and Zella. "Give us a moment to discuss something." Yami said, walking off a bit with Yugi and waved Aqua over. Aqua happily gave Johji back to Zella and ran over to their side. "So, what's the plan?" he asked. "I don't know how much Kaiba would care about these mercenaries so I'll deal with them like he tried with us." Yami said.

"No Yami, please. Don't do that." Yugi whispered.

"I'm sorry, Yugi, but I have to. At the moment, with so much fresh meat around, my demon instincts won't hold back for long since I haven't fed on flesh in a while and I don't want to frighten your friends away once they learn that Aqua and I are truly demons." he whispered and Yugi looked down before nodding.

"Alright, what's the plan you have in mind?"

"You and Aqua distract them and I aim for them. Shouldn't be too hard as long as you have them face me. With all the lighting in there, I can't use the shadows at all to hide and move around so we'll have to resort to this." Yami explained and they nodded. "Alright, ready?" They nodded again and they stood back up. "Alright, we have a plan so wait for us here." Yami said. "Are you going to be alright out there?" Jou questioned. "We will. Don't worry."

They headed to the door and quickly made it to the wall leading out into the open center. "Ok...go!" Yami said and Yugi headed in one direction while Aqua headed in another, Yami peeked out from the corner, watching Yugi. He continued to run through the maze of walls, trying to find any of the mercenaries.

"They're still playing and we got the three that will make us some big money right here in the room!" Bob confirmed to the remaining mercenary. "Spread out and look for those two that ran in here." he said as he went to look for Yugi. The nameless one stayed silent but started slinking off to find Aqua.

Yugi stopped behind a wall and looked out from behind it. Bob just turned in that direction and grinned. "Gotcha kid!" he said and started shooting at him. He gave a squeak and dived back behind the wall before started making his way back to Yami. _'Just a little more, koi.'_ he thought, pinpointing the sensor in his sights.

"Move, Yugi!" he called, shooting the gun and Yugi dived out the way as the laser hit the sensor and Bob cried out in pain as he was hit by the high voltage. Yugi made his way back to Yami and smiled. "Nice shot." he said and he thanked him before moving to the other side of the wall and looked for Aqua.

Aqua silently slunk through the maze, keeping his ears alert for the last person. He saw him and moved to stand in the open so he could see him. He looked to him and smirked. "I'm going to get big money from you." he said. "Then let's just see you hit me." Aqua countered. He shot the gun at him and with backflips, he dodged each shot until he hit the wall and moved behind it. The mercenary moved forward and once he was in Yami's sight, he shot the gun, catching his sensor before he could move and he shouted out in pain as he was shocked.

"And that takes care of them." Yami said with a smirk.

"They did it!" Zella cheered. "Yeah, too bad they killed them. That won't make Kaiba happy." Honda said. They left out the room and Yugi smiled to them. "Well, we've completed Death T-1! Let's get going to the next game!" he said, removing his vest. They did the same and walked back to place them away before they headed to the next game, unaware of Yami staying behind. He slunk through the maze and made quick work of devouring the mercenaries' flesh before leaving out the door heading into the next game.

Up in the viewing room, Kaiba smirked. _'So, you made it through Death T-1...but how will you fare in the next stage...'_ he thought before calling someone to clear out the carcasses of the mercenaries. He was unaware that another has made it into his little theme park of death and wasn't taking too kindly with his thoughts of death to Yami and Aqua.

0

Zypher: And there's the end of Death T-1 for you all! Yeah, I know you all might be wondering why I'm having Johji mess with Aqua with the same stuff he said in the comic. Decided to have a little fun and mess with Aqua and save Zella some torment from him but it will pretty much be a back and forth thing between Zella and Aqua with who watches Johji and all. Nothing more fun but to laugh at a death dealing demon dragon freaking out because of what a child says! Anyways, hope you enjoyed the chapter and will be waiting for the next death-defying game! See you later!


	26. Murderer's Mansion

Zypher: Still loving your reviews everyone! Thanks for reviewing and now here we are with the next game! Onward to Death T-2! Enjoy.

0

Yami no Game: Death's Awakening

Chapter 26

0

"Yeah! We are the champions!" Jou cheered. "We cleared that shooting game without a problem! It was a good warm-up, but now we're really gonna kick butt! Right, Yugi?" Yugi nodded. "Yeah, but I still feel nervous. We could've died back there if Honda didn't figure out the game was rigged! And I'm sure Kaiba's next game will be even more dangerous." he said. "Yugi's right. Don't let your guards down at any cost! The next game's at the end of this tunnel." Honda agreed.

"Not to shout or anything but...why am I carrying _him_!" Aqua cried, Johji grinning as he sat in his arms.

"Sorry, Aqua! He cries when he's held by anyone else and I think Zella is ready to hurt him if she holds him again." Honda said sheepishly.

"Just my luck." he groaned. Johji clung closer to him and he finally cracked, dropping him and climbing up the nearest wall, literally. "Forget it! I'm done with children!" he screeched, spines fluffing up like a scared cat. "Aqua! It's alright! Johji's harmless!" Yugi called. "I'm fine where I am, thank you!" he hissed and Yugi sighed.

_'I wonder what Johji did to make him so scared. It's kinda cute and funny at the same time to see such a strong demon be afraid of a baby.'_ Yugi thought. /I heard that!/ he shouted through the link. "Anyway! No matter what the next game is, we can beat it!" Jou said with confidence and they nodded.

They continued on through the tunnel, Aqua crawling along the ceiling and Zella holding Johji once more, grumbling to herself about scaredy-cat dragons. From his place, Kaiba watched. "The fools! Acting so proud because they cleared Death T-1! They have no idea how hard the next game is...but they're starting to look like worthy enemies, even if I wish to not have Jounouchi as my enemy. I spent a lot to build this theme park for Yugi and his demons...my momentum to my revenge...I need to get my money's worth out of them." he said.

"Yugi, his lovers and friends are leaving the "Space Zone" Death T-1. Estimated time of arrival in Zone Two, 2.5 seconds." A mechanical voice confirmed.

"Let's see how they do in Death T-2, the "Horror Zone"?"

0

As they were getting closer to the next zone, Yugi stopped when he heard something up above him. He looked to Aqua who stopped as well and looked behind him. "Do you see anything up there, Aqua?" Yugi asked. "No, not yet. It sounds like it's coming from inside the walls." Aqua responded. Soon, a grate nearby was pulled away and Keara poked her head out from the opening. She looked down to Yugi and smiled. "Hey, Yugi. Mind if I drop in?" she asked.

"No but how did you know we were here?"

"It's a little secret that you'll learn of later but it was a pain to get in here so I had to crawl through the vents just to avoid Kaiba's sight and his goons without causing a riot." she said, jumping down from the vent and then noticed Aqua was still on the ceiling.

"What's with him?"

"He can't handle children."

"Why? What did I miss out?"

Yugi explained to her what happened as they went to catch up with the others and she laughed. "Aqua?! Afraid of a little kid?! Now that's hilarious! Sorry to laugh at you though." she said, looking up to him. "None taken." he mumbled, a little peeved. Once they reached the others, they were now looking into a graveyard themed zone, a sign hanging from above reading Death T-2.

Jou shivered a little with the sudden change. "Man, what's with the change in scenery? This is creepy!"

"Yeah...it's sends a chill down your spine…" Honda whispered. "Alright! Let's keep moving!" he said, looking back and then noticed the newest addition to their group. "Hey, who's she?" he questioned. Yugi told them about her, not mentioning that she was a dragon and a protector of Egypt and they nodded.

"Well, the more the merrier."

They started making their way inside, Jou pushing Zella ahead of him. "You go first!" he told her. "Hey! What happened to all that beaming courage you just had?!" she hissed. "I...uh...I just hate this sort of thing."

A person appeared behind them and spoke out in a creepy, chilling voice. "Welcome to the horror zone..." he spoke, causing Jou to freeze up. He turned, seeing the cloaked man and screamed as he cackled darkly. "Well well...if this scares you, you won't survive the next ride." he said, cackling again.

"I w-wasn't scared, jerk! You just startled me!" Jou cried defiantly. "I will be your guide for the next attraction...please follow me..." he whispered as he walked ahead of them. Aqua released his hold from the roof and landed next to Yugi as they followed the man.

"Wait just a minute...he's the butler from the Kaiba Mansion!" Aqua spoke, now recognizing him. "Whoa! You're right!" Jou exclaimed.

"Ahem...now...step right this way everyone..." he spoke and they all looked to see two cars there with five seats each. "What's this weird car?" Jou questioned. "This is the car which will take us to our destination! I trust you'll enjoy the ride!"

"W...We have to ride this!" Jou practically screeched. "This is a haunted house ride!"

"Where are you taking us?" Yugi asked. "You'll find out if you get on..." The butler replied.

"We don't have a choice. We have to ride this to move on!" Honda said. "I'll ride on Aqua's lap!" Johji spoke. "Oh no you don't!" he hissed, staying behind Yugi. "Aqua, just relax. He won't do a thing to you." Yugi said, looking back to him with glimmering eyes. He groaned and nodded, hating to disobey any of Yugi's wishes.

_'Damn you and those eyes.'_ he grumbled in his mind as he took Johji from Zella's arms and headed to the front car. Everyone did the same and now it was Yugi, Aqua, Zella and Honda in the first car while Keara, Jou and Yami took the second car.

"Is everyone seated?" he asked.

"Mommy..." Jou whimpered.

"Man, these seats are uncomfortable." Aqua growled, shifting a bit. "My seat's nice and soft!" Johji squealed. "And you're about to be thrown from your seat if you don't zip it." he snarled in response, looking down to him. The butler cackled again and soon, their arms were shackled to the armrests and helmets being placed over their heads. "Hey, what gives!" Honda shouted. "It got our heads and arms!"

"We can't move!" Yugi cried fearfully.

"Hey, you! What are you planning to do with us?!" Jou shouted, looking at the butler. He cackled once more before speaking. "This is the beginning of our game of death..."

_'Game of death?!'_ Yugi thought.

"First, let me tell you where this ride leads...it leads to the Murderer's Mansion...only in a theme park of death can an attraction of such refined terror be possible!" he said. _'Murderer's Mansion?'_ Yami pondered, snarling lightly. "Now...on the way to the Murderer's Mansion, you will enjoy this mini-game, the Electric Chair ride. However, if you're unlucky, you might end your life in this mini-game..."

"Great, another electric death game. What's with Kaiba and electricity anyway?" Aqua grumbled sarcastically. Jou wasn't sharing his false enthusiasm though. "_Electric_ Chair ride! This gets worse and worse!" he exclaimed, struggling in his seat now.

"Let me explain the rules of this game...as you've guessed, the chairs you are sitting in are electric chairs...those are certified working electric chairs. They have sent many criminals to the next world! Soon, we will enter the darkness of the Electric Chair ride...during this ride, no matter what you encounter, you mustn't make a sound. If you do...this sensor will pick up a human voice and run 10 million volts of electricity through the chair that person is sitting in."

"What?!"

_'Kaiba, how could you make such a terrible ride. I've seen Yami handle mere shocks but nothing like this. If he or Aqua makes a sound...'_ Yugi couldn't bear to think more. "Hey, everyone! Don't make a sound, no matter what!" Jou called behind him.

"Jou! You're most likely the one to scream!" Zella snipped.

"Oh yeah...right..." he whispered, shutting up and sinking down into his seat.

"Oh, I wanna go home!" she cried.

"You and the rest of us, Zella." Aqua murmured, looking back to her. "I'm sorry we got you and the others into this."

She looked to him and saw a defeated look in his eyes. "Aqua..."

"Don't worry, Aqua! I'll protect you and Zella!" Johji said. Aqua clenched his mouth shut but was cursing in every language he knew for having to deal with Johji. _'I think I know why he's hates him now.'_ Yugi thought, glaring at Johji who returned the glare.

"As the guide, I'll participate as well! To make things fair, I'm bound by the same rules. If I make a sound, the electricity will flow!" The butler spoke as he took the last seat of the first car. "Now, have you prepared yourselves?"

"We're ready to go! Just start this ride already!" Keara hissed from her seat, wishing she could break free but knew that Yugi didn't want his friends to know of her dragon powers just yet.

"Fine then. Game Start!"

The cars started moving, heading into the door that was slowly creaking open. They were bathed in darkness for a little while, Jou shivering visibly in his seat but kept his mouth shut._'I'm not only Kaiba's butler, I'm also an expert in all forms of torture...I know the best ways to make my prisoners writhe in pain...there are many ways to make a victim raise their voice. In contrast, a good torturer knows how to keep silent no matter what happens to him. And I designed this game! It doesn't scare me! In other words, this game is mine...I'll destroy all of you in this round!'_

The cars continued to move, Jou doing his best to stay silent. Yugi, Aqua, Honda and Zella kept quiet, same with Yami and Keara in the second car. The butler chuckled to himself mentally. _'Now, witness the first terror...'_ he thought as a light started to appear near the end of the path and when they were out, a giant, mummy like zombie appeared from above, startling them and Jou tried to keep his mouth shut, sweat dripping down his face. _'Cry out in fear! Scream in terror!'_ The butler thought.

_'Impressive...so this level of terror won't make you scream...then how about this...'_ he thought as a panel on his chair flipped over and he pressed a button and a puff of steam came from the sides of their chairs, causing them to flinch and Jou trying his hardest to not scream.

_'And this!'_ he pressed another button and hands popped out, tickling their faces and chests which was bad for Keara and Zella. Keara growled mentally in her mind. _'You will pay for this.'_ she hissed mentally as she closed her eyes, concentrating.

Yugi grit his teeth and turned to look at Aqua and Zella faintly. Aqua was starting to struggle, moving his head while Zella's face was flushed. _'Oh no, she looks like she's about to scream. Please, stay silent a little longer, Zella.'_ Yugi thought.

_'It's no good...'_ she thought, ears flatten back. Keara opened her eyes and upon her shoulder was a scarab. /Go, crawl into the butler's flesh and make him scream./ she commanded and the scarab soon flew off, landing on the butler's hand. He looked down. _'What's this?'_ he wondered. The scarab clicked a few times before breaking the skin and burying itself deep into his flesh.

_'What…?'_ he thought as he saw the bump of the scarab crawling up inside his arm and to his neck where he lost visual of it. His eyes widened as he felt the presence of the scarab in his head and he screamed, feeling it biting down upon the tender gray matter and because of his outburst, he was shocked by 10 million volts which led to his instant death.

The cars finally made it to the end and they sighed in relief. Honda removed his helmet and looked towards them. "Phew! We made it to the goal somehow! We can talk now!" he said as he stood up. The scarab that was in the butler came out and flew over to Yugi, landing on his hand. He looked down and saw him. "Hey, now where do you came from?" he asked and then saw the blood and looked back to the dead butler. He saw the bloodied spot of the scarab's entry and exit. "You must've helped us. Thank you." He said before turning to Aqua.

Honda turned to the other car. "Hey! Yami! Keara! Jou! Are you three alright?!" he called. "Yeah, we're fine!" Keara called back. "But Jou fainted!" Yami responded. "What?! I guess that saved him from screaming like a little girl." he said, shaking his head as he crossed his arms. Yugi walked over to him, the scarab perching itself onto his shoulder, and tapped him. "Jou, wake up." he whispered. He groaned before sitting up quickly, screaming. "Jou! It's alright! The game's over." Yugi assured and he looked around and breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Why do you hang out with these losers, Aqua?" Johji said. "Zip it or else I'll leave you behind to crawl your way back." he hissed, muffled since he had him by the collar of his pajamas, now deciding to walk on all fours just to keep him from trying to cuddle him. Johji pouted and crossed his arms. Once everyone was off the cars, they looked up to the looming mansion before them. "Is this the next game?" Yugi asked. "I'm guessing so." Yami said, holding onto Yugi's other shoulder.

Back where Kaiba was, he smirked lightly._'Welcome to Death T-2, the Murderer's Mansion...'_

0

"This is the Murderer's Mansion!" Jou exclaimed.

"Yech! Creepy!" Zella cried.

_'This is the next game. Kaiba! What kind of traps you have for us this time!'_ Yugi thought and then felt something pulsate in his pocket and reached in, pulling out his grandfather's deck. _'What this...? I feel a heartbeat from Jii-chan's cards!'_ Yami looked down to him, also feeling the heartbeat.

/Yugi, your grandfather is in critical condition. We need to pass these stages before something happens. That's what the cards are telling us./ Yami told him and he gasped. The others looked back to him. "Is something wrong, Yugi?" Zella asked.

"Jii-chan's in critical condition! That's what his cards are telling me!" Yugi cried and his friends gasped, worried. Keara growled and looked to the mansion. "Then we need to hurry. Come on and let's get going." she said and they nodded as they walked up to the mansion, Yami staying back to once again feast upon their opponent's dead form but held onto his soul, having a plan with it. _'I'm sure Keara would want to do something with this.'_ he thought before he went to catch up with the others.

"If what Yugi said is true, we need to clear this game quickly and without any problems! Let's get going!" Honda said as he kicked open the door and they all walked inside. "Ugh! It's so musty in here. It sticks in your throat..."

"It's too dark to see. We should stay here until our eyes adjust." Yugi murmured. "I'm fine since I'm part cat." Zella said, looking around a bit. The door suddenly slammed shut and they looked behind them. "The door shut on its own!" Jou cried. "And it won't open back up!" Zella spoke, testing the handle but the door wouldn't budge.

"That means we're trapped. Again." Yami whispered, glancing around again and holding Yugi close. Jou wasn't taking any more and ran to the doors, trying to pull them open. "Crud! It really is locked! Anybody have a wire or something? I can open this door with something like that..."

"You have some strange talents, Jou..." Zella whispered.

"Hey, Jou! Why are you trying to open the door we came _**in**_? We have to find the exit, dummy!" Johji said.

"Why you little-"

"Johji's right," Yami said, cutting him off. "We have to find the exit in order to move on."

Yugi nodded in agreement. "Let's split up and look for the way out."

They all spread out, looking through the first floor of the mansion. Yugi went past a suit of armor and looked up, seeing something attached to it. He picked it off the armor and looked to it. "Blood? What on earth could this mean? This sounds like a bad omen..." he whispered and then heard Jou crying out again. "Hey, this is strange! There's no way out!"

"I'll check the second floor." Honda spoke up, walking up the stairs but stopped when he saw the ceiling blocking the way. "The stairs are blocked off! There isn't a second floor!"

A hologram soon appeared and Kaiba appeared. "Kaiba!" Yami growled. He chuckled quietly as he looked down to them. "Welcome to the Murderer's Mansion! I see you are searching for the exit to this mansion. Have you found it yet? Let me at least be gracious enough to give you a word of warning...if you don't escape soon, something bad will happen." he spoke and Yami's eyes narrowed.

"Let me explain why I call this the Murderer's Mansion...do you remember what happened last summer at the camp near Domino Lake? Those terrible murders that had all of Domino City cowering in fear...ten boys scouts staying at the camp were murdered...all in one night. Not even a master of puzzles would have been able to assemble those body parts back into a human form...those boys were mincemeat! After that, the suspect came to be known as "The Chopman"...he is still at large..." All but Yami, Aqua and Keara gulped in fear. He laughed softly as he looked down to them.

"You've figured it out, haven't you...the Chopman is hidden in this mansion!" he said, shocking them. "Cruelty is considered as asset at Kaiba Corporation...we scouted the Chopman to manage this attraction in the theme park of death! So! Will you be able to escape this mansion without running into the Chopman?" he spoke, laughing out loud now. "However, I couldn't have you call this game unfair...so I'll give you a little hint to find the way out of the mansion! Look at the wall behind you."

They turned and saw a wall with four holes in the wall. "What the…! Four holes in the wall!"

"Yeah! And they're numbers written above each of the holes!"

"00-01-10-11..." Aqua whispered, dropping Johji onto the floor who pouted and immersed himself with picking his nose. "There are switches on the other side of that wall. If you press the right switch, the location of the exit will be revealed! Now, gather your courage and put your hands in those holes." Kaiba said. They looked to each other before Yugi, Yami, Jou and Keara walked forward._'This has to be some kind of trick, I just know it.'_Yugi thought.

"What is it, you look suspicious...you'll never get out unless you press the right switch!"

"Cripes...there's no choice. We have to stick out hands in..." Jou said softly. "Yeah...we searched everywhere and couldn't find a thing.." Yugi spoke up as they placed their hand through the holes. Yugi in 00, Yami in 11, Jou in 01 and Keara in 10. They weren't ready for something clamping around their wrists, keeping them there. "Ra...I'm going to kill him!" Yami roared, trying to move his hand out but it wouldn't budge. "Our hands are trapped!" Jou exclaimed before looking up. "And we have worse things to worry about!"

They looked up as well, seeing the blade of the guillotine. "Now the game begins! Only one of those switches is the right one! If you press the wrong switch, the blade will fall and cut off your hands! You have five minutes before the blade drops! Don't forget you can only choose one switch! I've left a clue hidden in this room...I wish you luck. Hopefully you won't be losing your precious hand, Jounouchi." he said before the hologram disappeared. "What is his problem already?!" Jou growled. "How come I have that odd feeling that he likes you?" Yugi suggested and he grimaced.

"Like I would like some pompous, arrogant, spoiled rotten moneybags that's out to kill us!" he hissed. "No more time to argue about Kaiba's love life. We need to figure out which one of these switches is the right one before we lose a hand." Keara said. "Honda! Zella! Aqua! Go and see if you can find any clues that we might've missed before these five minutes are up!" she called to them and they nodded as they spread out again.

"I can't stand this! What's with all these bloody games?!" Jou snarled. "We'll get out of this soon if they can find that clue." Yami said. "These numbers must mean something but it's all ones and zeros, like computer code." Keara explained. "I don't get it! Kaiba said there was a clue in the room which Aqua, Zella and Honda are looking for!" Yugi then remembered and reached into his pocket. "Wait! I think I have the clue!" Yugi said as he held up the piece of paper. Jou took the paper, looking at it.

"Blood? What is this?!"

Keara took the paper from him and looked over it. "Where did you find this, Yugi?" she asked.

"I found it in here on a suit of armor when we were looking for an exit."

"Hmm...this has to be it but I can figure out what Kaiba's trying to hint."

"Grr! I hate these kinds of puzzles!" Jou groaned.

"Yugi! Maybe you can figure this out!" Yami said.

"I don't know..." he whispered, looking down.

"I know you can. Don't give up now. Your jii-chan is counting on you." he said. Yugi looked back up and saw the sincere look in his eyes and nodded. "Alright. Let me see that paper again, Keara." Yugi said and she handed it to Jou who handed it back to him. He looked it over and then noticed something he didn't catch on earlier. _'That's got to be it! The word's misspelled! That has to be the clue! It should read blood but it has two "L"s.'_ he thought. "Yugi! You need to hurry! We have two minutes left!" Jou told him.

He looked back at it, still trying to figure it out. Johji from his spot yawned in boredom.

"You can do it, Yugi! We have about a minute left!"

He whimpered, closing his eyes. /It's no good. I can't figure it out.../

/Don't lose hope. Aqua and I believe in you. Your friends do as well. You are doing a lot just to make sure we're safe from the dangers Kaiba's trying to put us through. You are the one who is giving us a reason to not just turn into and demons and deal with Kaiba the easy way./ Yami reassured.

Yugi smiled, tears coming to his eyes and he nodded. "Time's up, Yugi!" Jou called, bringing him back and saw the blade drop. "No!" Aqua roared as he jumped up, grabbing the chains to the blade but since he wasn't using his demon strength, he couldn't keep hold on the heavy blade for long.

"Yugi! Hurry and figure out the answer! I'll hold this as long as I can to give you extra time!"

Yugi thanked him and looked over the paper again. He examined it more, trying to figure it out with the last few seconds they had. Aqua hissed, being pulled down by the weight and his claws leaving lacerations in the wood he gripped onto. _'I can't hold it longer!'_ he thought.

He gasped as he lost his footing against the wall and the blade fell once more, faster than before. "I got it! Yami, press your switch!" Yugi called and he did so. The blade stopped just inches from their hands and from the force of the stop, Aqua lost his grip on the chains and fell into Jou.

The grip on their wrists was gone and Jou fell back from Aqua's weight. Both had comical swirly eyes and Yami rubbed his wrist. /Glad he made it just on time./ he said and Yugi nodded. The scarab clicked softly by Yugi's ear before flying off. He watched the scarab fly off before turning to Honda and Zella who ran over. "How did you figure it out, Yugi?" Zella asked.

"At first, I kept thinking about the meaning of the word blood! But the shape of the letters was what finally made me figure out the answer, especially with the extra seconds Aqua gave me! See...they made the word blood with just ones and zeros and when you look at the scrap of paper I found, there's an arrow pointing down! That must mean the exit is in the basement and the right answer being Yami's switch because of the fact that Kaiba used the ones and zeros in blood with the arrow to represent the numbers on the wall!" Yugi explained.

"And you're right! There's the exit!" Honda said, pointing to the now revealed exit behind Johji. Yugi smiled and looked back over to Aqua who stood up and was helping Jou back up. He ran over and jumped into his arms, kissing his snout. "Thanks for the extra seconds to help me figure out the answer, Aqua." he said and he smiled.

"Can't have you losing your soft, beautiful hands, Yugi." Aqua murmured, holding up one and kissing it softly, making him blush. "Now, let's get out of here! I just had about enough with haunted houses!" Jou grumbled, dusting himself off. They were unaware of someone peeking out from the exit.

"This is boring...no one bother to ask for my help..." Johji grumbled to himself, unaware of the person behind him. The scarab clicked louder, catching their attention. A hand reached out, grabbing Johji and dragging him back down, the door closing with a bang. "Guys! Johji was taken!" Zella yelled. They looked to the door leading down into the basement. "It must be the Chopman Kaiba was talking so much about." Keara growled. "He made us think this was the exit but it's actually the entrance into the serial killer's hideout."

"Great! I just can't stand that little brat! He just can't stay out of trouble for a few seconds." Aqua hissed and Yugi tapped his snout, shutting him up. "But you know we have to get him. He'll be killed if we leave him there." Yugi said. Aqua pouted before letting him down and went over to the door, opening it. "Next floor, basement. Serial killers, bratty children and the exit from this zone." he said, helping them down into the basement. They heard Johji's voice as Yami jumped down behind them along with Aqua and they started walking down the stairs.

"We should worry! Kaiba said he has that murderer on his side! This could very well be another trap!" Jou said, wringing his hands. They soon reached the bottom and looked ahead of them, seeing Johji sitting on a pedestal. "Hey! Over here!" he called.

"There he is!"

"Hey guys! I'm in here! Come and get me!"

They stayed silent and Aqua crossed his arms. "There's something fishy about all this." Aqua mumbled. "Yeah...Johji, tell the truth! Is someone in there with you?" Honda called. He looked around frantically. "No! No one's in here. Just little ol' me!" he said innocently. "I don't trust that brat as far as I can throw him! That's gotta be a trap!" Aqua huffed. /And that's pretty far considering my demon strength./ he said to Yami and Yugi, flinching as Yugi reprimanded him again.

"Ohh, please help me! Pretty please!" he begged, looking cute. "Now he's acting cute! If you didn't believe him before...! I just know he would betray us in a snap!" Jou said, siding with Aqua.

"Sheesh!" he grumbled, turning to look behind him. "They aren't coming in, sir!" he said as two glowing eyes appeared above him.

"H-He talking to someone!"

"That little brat...he's already switched sides..." Honda murmured.

"And you wonder why I hate kids now. What kind of child is your sister raising, Honda?" Aqua questioned.

The figure behind Johji rumbled deeply, gazing at them. "Tch...now what? The Chopman has to be in that room..." Zella whispered. A screen appeared in the darkness and Kaiba appeared.

"It's Kaiba!"

"Again! I had just about enough of his face showing up!"

Johji turned to see the screen and smiled. "Wow! Kaiba!" he said happily, waving to him. "What do you think everyone? Are you enjoying Kaiba Land's games of death?" he asked. "Does it look like we're enjoying it?!" Jou questioned angrily. "Besides, why don't you show up in person so I can _punch_ you in the face!"

He laughed softly as he looked to them still. "Of all games, I like card games the best...but chess is my second favorite...Right now, you are living chess pieces on the giant board that is Kaiba Land! I watch as each move brings me closer to checkmate...and I'm enjoying it immensely." Yugi growled, the scarab clicking its anger towards Kaiba as well.

"Now, about the next game...you will play in here with the Chopman! Select one person to enter this room! And you can't avoid this game. You don't want to see this child's head cut off, do you?" The Chopman's hands started wrapping around Johji's neck.

"Frankly, I don't care..." Aqua whispered and Zella stomped on his tail, making him cry out and holding his tail. "So cruel." he whispered, rubbing the sore spot. Yami snickered and he glared at him. "The Chopman only obeys my orders! If I say the word, the boy dies!"

Johji gulped. "M-Mister Kaiba, you're kidding right? You don't need to do that to beat them! You wouldn't really hurt me, will you?" he asked.

"Kaiba! Don't you dare hurt a hair on that kid!" Yugi shouted.

"Who will step up to play this game?" he whispered. "Helllppp!" Johji cried. Honda cursed, about to step up but Aqua already did. "Wait, Honda! I'll take him on!" he said. "Are you sure?" Yugi asked. "Yeah, as much as I hate to say it, he did help us out once and I always repay those that help us." Aqua murmured. "I'm going in there with you!" Jou called out.

"Kaiba only said one of us is going in." he whispered, looking to him.

"Forget what he says! I'll stick beside my friend and I'm not letting some Chopman make mincemeat outta you!" Jou said.

"Alright, climb on." Aqua said and Jou jumped onto his back and he walked in.

_'Hmm, with this move I catch Aqua the knight and unfortunately Jounouchi as well.'_ Kaiba thought, eyes narrowing. When they were in, the door slammed shut behind them and the other ran to the door. "Aqua! Jou!" Yugi called. "The door's locked!"

"Aqua! I knew you'd come for me! Quick, save me!" Johji said happily. "Shut it! You're lucky I didn't think about leaving you in here." he growled, walking over to him. "Damn it all, what this...?" he hissed, looking down. "It's oil." Jou said from his back. "Great." he hissed as he moved to pick him up.

Once he had a hold of him, Johji reached behind him and cuffed his wrist. "What the...!" he screeched, looking to him. "Don't get mad at me! Kaiba made me do it! I'm too cute to die!" he whimpered. "I'll kill you myself!" Aqua growled. "Aqua! Focus!" Jou murmured, jumping down from his back. "Give me Johji." Aqua didn't hesitate and handed him to Jou.

"Now the game is set! Allow me to introduce you! This is the Chopman!" Kaiba said. "Master Kaiba! Cad I cud him ub?" The Chopman asked. "Id's been soo long...!"

Aqua snorted, knowing he will have a slight problem without trying to use any shadow manipulation or demon powers. "Not until I give the signal. Anyways, the rules if this game are simple! After the signal to begin, you each pick a weapon and fight to the death! Your choices are hung from the ceiling. Stand on the podium in the middle to reach them! Be careful not to slip on the oil on the floor!"

"Aqua! I'm here for you!" Johji said. "Zip it! You already caused enough trouble than you're worth!" he yelled, looking back to him. "Aqua!" Yugi called, fearing the worse since he and Yami are being restrained to not show any of their demon form throughout this. _'Cause that's exactly what Kaiba wants for one thing and they really don't want to scare off Jou, Honda and Zella.'_ The Chopman laughed lowly. "Guh huh huh...I cud you ub!" he said. Jou stayed behind, knowing he needed to help Aqua get that handcuff off. _'If only I had a wire or something!'_ he thought.

"Game Start!"

The Chopman was already on the move, climbing onto the podium. "What to cud you ub wid...?" he pondered, looking at the weapons. Aqua stood his ground while Jou looked back to the others. "Hey! Do any of you have some kind of wire?"

"No but we'll find you something, Jou!" Yugi said as they left.

"Wad to pick? Choppy can'd decide.." he spoke, still choosing a weapon. _'This isn't going to work. Jou is skilled at unlocking locks so I need to hold this out long enough before I'm thrown out as chunks through the door and he advances to Jou and kills him.'_ Aqua thought. They came back and looked through the bars. "It's no good! We can't find anything!"

"Aqua!" Yugi cried.

"Ogay! I use dis!" The Chopman said, pulling a chainsaw down and revving it up. "I cud you ub with dis!"

"Just perfect." he hissed before looking up to the weapons. "I'll take this!" he said, jumping up and making a grab for the scythe. "Not this time, Draggy!" he said, pulling back on the chains and bringing him back down. "Damn it!" he hissed, getting up. The Chopman walked towards him, chainsaw held high.

"Run, Aqua! Run!" Jou called. Aqua did so, almost slipping on the oil but he wasn't going anywhere since the Chopman kept him from moving. So basically, he was now running nowhere because of the oil with the Chopman moving closer, one arm wrapping the chain around his wrist to keep Aqua from distancing himself.

"Oh no! He's dead!" Jou cried, looking around for something that would help him unlock the handcuff.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it all!" Aqua growled, still getting nowhere.

The Chopman pulled him back, making him hit the podium and he raised the chainsaw again. "I slice you in two!" he said, swinging the chainsaw down and Aqua ducked his head, making the teeth dig into the podium. He growled as he tried to pull the chainsaw from the stone, loosening the grip on the chain and leaving Aqua with the chance to move again. "De teeth is stugk!" he rumbled. He raised his head up slowly and let out a breath as he stood up.

"Now's your chance! Run!" Johji screamed.

"Does it look like I can go anywhere?! I'm chained to him!"

The Chopman laughed again, licking at his crooked teeth. "Das right...you can'd esgape Choppy!" he said before pulling on the chainsaw again. "Id's still stugk!" Jou finally thought of something and ran over to him. "Aqua! Let me see your claws!" Jou said and he held up his hand. He took it and keeping Johji tucked under his arm, he used the nail of his claws to free him.

"Now why didn't I think of that. Thanks, Jou." he said and looked back to the Chopman who was still struggling with the chainsaw. "I have an idea so when I tell you to move, move." Aqua whispered and he nodded. Aqua went over to the door and coiled the handcuff and chain onto the bars of the door. "Back up, everyone." he said.

"I god the chainsaw free!" The Chopman called, looking to Jou and Aqua who was at the door. "You can'd hide ober dere! I cub you ub! Cobe here!" he said, pulling on the chain. "Move!" he shouted and both Jou and Aqua jumped back, making the Chopman realize he was pulling the door out instead of him. "Wuh..!"

"What?! He got the handcuff off! And he attached it to the door!" Kaiba said in shock. Jou ran out along with Aqua who held a candle in hand. He looked back to Kaiba with a smirk. "I know a monster's strength when I see it and I used it to help us out! Thanks for opening the door for us!" he murred, throwing the candle towards the floor. "When you teamed up with the Chopman, it was an evil demon's mind with a monster's strength! That is a combo made in hell but too bad it's over for him now!" he continued as the Chopman screeched in pain as the flames consumed him.

"C'mon, let hit the next level!" Jou said. Yugi smiled as he hugged Aqua around his waist. "I started to worry for a minute, Aqua. Don't scare me like that again." Yugi whispered. "I hate to make you scared and worried for me, koi." he said, picking him up and carrying him through the tunnel to the next game. "We won't die here and give Kaiba the satisfaction he wants. We will win and save your jii-chan." he continued and he nodded, keeping himself close to him as they continued on their way.

Johji turned to look at Aqua. "Thanks for saving me, Aqua. I meant it. Really." he said.

"Can I not have a moment alone here without you bugging me?"

"Aqua, be nice."

"Grr..."

0

Zypher: And that's it for this chapter. Yes, I like poking fun at Aqua. He's going to come and kill me one day but Yugi is my death free ticket. It's a miracle how easy it is for Yugi to keep two demons at bay with the threat of sleeping on a couch and no fun under the sheets for a month can do! -laughs- Anyways, before they do come and chase me to the ends of the earth, thanks for reading and I'll see you soon with a new chapter and Death T-3!


	27. Terror Cubed

Zypher: And here's the next chapter with the next game for our favorite demons, their lover and his friends! Glad you all enjoyed the last chapter and as always, enjoy this one as well!

0

Yami no Game: Death Awakening

Chapter 27

0

"Patient is in respiratory distress following an acute bout of angina secondary to psychogenic shock!" One of the paramedics said.

"Patient's heart rate and blood pressure are elevated! He's in extremely critical condition!" Another said.

As the paramedics rushed him down to the ER, he was thinking about Yugi, hoping that he would win.

_'Yugi...Yugi...'_

0

Back at the game, Yugi was gazing down at jii-chan's cards. _'Jii-chan...'_ he thought and placed the cards back into his pocket before cuddling close to Aqua. /I'm scared...scared that jii-chan won't make it. If he dies, I will never forgive Kaiba./ Yugi said to Yami. /We will save him, Yugi. His heartbeat is growing faster but we'll defeat Kaiba before it stops. Don't worry./ Yami told him. Yugi nodded just as Honda pointed out the entrance to the next game.

"We're getting closer to that jerk Kaiba! One step at a time!" Honda growled.

"Yeah!"

"C'mon! Let's hurry!" Jou told them as they ran for the entrance. Kaiba watched them once more, thinking. "So, they made it to Death T-3...not outside the realm of chance but...looking over their progress, especially with the fact those demons didn't bother to use their true strength to help them get out of tight situation, I see some factors I underestimated..." he said. Ruby came up behind him and looked to the screen. "They make a good team. Powers or not. Their friendship is probably what keeps them together and helps them find a way to beat your games." Ruby murmured.

Kaiba thought about them and frowned. _'That's it...I need to break up that union. If one of Yugi's little friends is gone, then the demons will reveal themselves as their true forms. After all, friendship is an illusion...everyone cares the most about himself...when they find themselves in real trouble, they'll soon betray their friends to save their own hides!_

_'Demons are people of survival, feeding on others to quench their hunger. Yami ate every person that they went against to keep himself pleased, if it was only them, he wouldn't be able to hold back his instincts.'_ Kaiba thought with a smirk.

_'That's where Death T-3 comes in. If I trap those demons, they'll be forced to eat their own limbs and they'll be dead and out of my hair forever, leaving Yugi and little friends alone and with the brawn of the group gone...'_ he thought, laughing to himself.

0

"Here it is! The entrance to Death T-3!" Jou said. Johji was now asleep in Zella's arms, giving them all relief to not hear more from him. "What could be after the Horror Zone?" Zella questioned. "Kaiba designed this theme park, you know it's gotta be something even more cheap and sadistic!" Jou spoke. She nodded, agreeing with him. "Well, we don't have time to waste here! Let's go!" Aqua said and they nodded as they went inside and were surprised to see that it was nothing but a blank room.

"It's an empty room!"

"There's nothing at all in here!" The door slammed shut behind them and they turned to look behind them. "And like always, the doors slams shut behind us." Aqua sighed. "Well, we best start seeing what's up with this room then since there has to be some sort of trick associated with this room." he said and they started looking around.

"Let's see...square walls...square floors..." Jou spoke and looked up. "The ceiling is pretty high...it's too dark to tell, but maybe it's open at the top..." he continued before seeing something. "Wait...!"

"What is it?"

"Right there! There's a hole in the wall up there!"

"Yeah, I can see it. It's probably 10 meters above the floor!" Honda said. "He can't be expecting up to climb up there!"

"But I can fly us up there." Aqua suggested. "That won't work. See, flare out your wings." Yugi said and he did so, the ends of his wings brushing both ends of the wall. "Sooner or later while you're flapping your wings, you're going to trip up and fall." Yugi told him and he sighed. "Well, that rules that out." Aqua whispered and looked around. "It looks like we're trapped here...could this have been Kaiba's plan all along?"

"I hope it isn't. This is very bad on our part." Yami growled. "He's right." Yugi whispered. /I don't know how long it is before you both need another meal and if your instincts go out of control, my friends and possibly me will be your next meal./

/I won't need another for quite a while. Those mercenaries and Kaiba's butler will keep my instincts satisfied and keep me full for a good month or so./ Yami said. /And those punks that messed with Hanasaki are still keeping me alright. No need to worry about us, Yugi./ Aqua said and he nodded.

"Yugi!" Jou called and he looked to him. "You can't give up! Don't give up now when we're so far!" Yugi looked up into his eyes and saw the determination in his eyes. "Alright..." he whispered before sighing. "We'll just have to wait and see what happens..."

They sat down on the ground, staying silent. Zella looked down to Johji. "He's sound asleep now. He must be very exhausted after what he's been through..." she said. "This whole thing must be hard on a little, talking pervy kid like him." Aqua mumbled and Zella punched him lightly in the arm. "Shh, Aqua." He pouted and looked to Yugi who was very quiet. _'We've been in here for ages...nothing has changed at all. Maybe...maybe it does end here...'_ Yugi thought.

_'Jii-chan...everyone...Yami and Aqua...'_ he whimpered and banged his fists on the ground, tears coming to his eyes. "I'm sorry everyone! I'm so sorry! If it wasn't for me, we wouldn't be here!" Yugi cried, sobbing. Jou looked to him before grabbing onto him. "That's enough, Yugi! Don't you dare say that again!" Jou shouted.

"Jou, stop! What's the matter with you?!" Honda yelled. Yugi looked up into Jou's eyes, seeing the determined look in his eyes. "Don't say things like that, Yugi...don't you understand why we came here with you? It's because we're friends!"

"Jou, let go of his collar." Yami whispered and he did so. "Remember, Jou, you are not the same person who beats up on weaker people anymore." Honda told him. Jou sighed, looking down. "Honda...we've been such stupid punks in the past..." he murmured.

"Yeah...we were stupid punks all right..."

"Living in a stupid society...with stupid parents...and my stupid self...I never learned to like myself... until I met you, Yugi..." he said, looking to him. _'Huh...?'_

"You were just a nice, innocent kid but you have been bullied so much at school until someone helped you. I don't know who it could possibly be but every time something happen, someone was there for you. The same still applies but now Yami and Aqua are there for you. But those days when I kept seeing you take hits by Ushio...I was mad at myself...mad for not trying to help you out when you needed it...Honda saw as well but he was thinking the same lines as me those days and didn't come to help you out..." Jou explained.

"Yeah...those days, I always wanted to pick a fight and didn't care who got hurt...some local punk...a wall...even a telephone pole...I'd it them with everything I had." Honda let out a sigh. "But then I'd realize...the person I should really be hitting is myself...I was no different to those that bullied you Yugi and worse since I'd only watch and not help..."

Jou raised his head and looked to him. "But when you solved that puzzle, Yugi, you've gained all of us as your friends and even Yami and Aqua as your lovers." he said before taking hold of Yugi's shoulders. "Listen to me when I say this, Yugi! Friends are people you like! And because of friends you learn to like yourself. That's why I hang out with you! Because you help me to learn to like myself and make me think of myself as more than a street punk!

"Whatever hurts you, I'll share that pain! That's what friends are for! Kaiba may have forced you, Yami and Aqua to come in here and I wasn't going to let you go in there alone. Honda came also and with his as well as my help, you three were able to get through these last two games.

"If we weren't here, you probably wouldn't have made it past the first game alive." he whispered. "We haven't given up on you so don't give up on us. Alright, Yugi?" Yugi smiled and hugged Jou tightly. "Ok. And thank you, Jou." he whispered. Jou smiled and wrapped his arms around him in a loose hug before letting go.

Yami smiled and this and look to Aqua. Aqua nodded and they both whispered a quick spell and soon, shadows wrapped around their hands and there were seven crystal hearts, four in Yami's hand and three in Aqua's. They stood up and looked to them. "No one learns to like themselves alone. Yugi had taught us that well." Yami said, walking over to them. "And you all stick by his side even when facing death. That means a lot to us and to him. You truly are the greatest friends he as well as us can have. And to represent that, we can use these." Yami said, holding up the crystal hearts.

"Where did you get those?" Jou asked. "It's our little secret but these will represent the friendship and love we hold for each other in our hearts." Yami said, giving one to Jou, Zella and Honda and placing the last over his head. "And no matter what happens, they will continue to glow with that friendship and love we have."

Jou looked down to the heart and saw it glowing with a golden-yellow light. Honda's was glowing a bronze color and Zella's a lavender color. Yami's was a dark cerise, Yugi's a deep amethyst and Aqua a dark aquamarine. Keara placed on the last one and it glowed with a mix of ruby and onyx. The color faded and they thanked them for the gift. Yami and Aqua smiled and nodded.

"Remember, no matter what happens, these crystal hearts will lead us and help us when we need them." Aqua said and they nodded. "Even if you lose them, the love we have for each other as friends will still burn brightly in our hearts."

"Yeah!" Jou and Honda cheered.

"Ok!" Zella said with a smile. They soon heard a sound and looked up to see and block falling. "Watch out!" Yami called and they moved out the way to avoid the block. "What the-? A giant cube fell from above! This must be the next game!" Yugi cried. "Be careful! Another one's coming!" Zella said.

Yugi moved out the way of the cube as it dropped next to him and Yami ran over, picking him up and looked upwards for another cube. "It's impossible...you can't tell where the next cube going to fall!" Honda growled as he dodged another one. "All we can do is run around and dodge them!"

Kaiba once again watched them. _'That's right, run...in this game, your numbers are a liability! Stop to worry about someone else and you'll be squashed by a cube! You can't win this game without sacrificing your friends!'_

"Back in the room, they were still dodging cubes. "This is like dancing with death!" Yugi cried as Yami moved out the way of another cube. "There's no place left to run!" Yami hissed. Yugi looked to the cubes and then back to the hole in the wall. "Wait! I think I've got it! We have to use these cubes to get to the top!" he said. "He's right! We dodge the falling ones and climb them to get to the top!" Jou said as he clambered onto one along with Zella, Keara and Aqua. The whole floor was soon covered with cubes and more were falling down.

"We have to avoid the edges or we will get boxed in!" Yami said, moving to the center of the cube he was on to avoid once that fell into the empty spot beside him. Jou growled as he dodged another. "Crap...how are we going to get out of here without being flattened? At the rate it's going, we probably won't make it!"

"Zella! Throw Johji to me!" Jou called and she did so, the other grabbing hold of the still sleeping baby. "How can you sleep at a time like this?" he wondered. Zella then thought of something. "Wait, there's a rhythm to the timing of the cubes! Maybe there's some rule to where the fall as well." she said, closing her eyes in concentration. "That's right! I forgot Zella studies dance! She has a talent for reading rhythms!" She continued to concentrate, counting to three mentally before pointing to an area where a cube fell into place.

"That's awesome! You know where the next cube would fall!"

"Yeah! The falling cubes are the rhythm and the places they fall are the steps, just like in a dance! The cubes in a way are following a simple dance!" Zella explained.

"I get it! The mechanism of this game is too big for the computer program controlling it to be too complex! They had to keep it simple!" Yugi said. "So the cubes only know easy steps!" he continued, Yami tossing him from his spot to Aqua who let him sit on his back as he started hopping from one cube to the next, making his way up the one leading to the exit.

"We're almost there! Just hang in there a little more!" Honda called as Zella, Jou and Keara reached the exit. Yami started making his way up there as well until he looked down to Honda. "Come on, Honda! You can make it!" he said.

Jou passed Johji to Keara who was through the opening before climbing in. Zella looked up and realize the rhythm changed and one cube was falling straight for Aqua. "Aqua! Look out!" she cried. He gasped and moved Yugi off his back but the block was too quick for him to move as well.

"I got you!" Honda said, moving him and Yugi both, just barely missing the cube as it hit. Aqua looked to him gratefully. "Thank you, Honda." he whispered. "Can't let you and Yugi get caught." he said. Aqua passed Yugi to Yami and climbed up. He looked back down to Honda, wondering why he wasn't moving.

"Honda! Come on!" he called, making Yami and Yugi stop in their ascent. "This is as far as I go..." he said and then Aqua saw his jacket got caught underneath the cube that fell. "His jacket's caught!" Yugi cried in shock. Aqua jumped down towards him. "I'm not leaving you here, Honda! You helped me and I'm returning the favor!"

"Aqua! No!" Yugi cried.

"Come on, Yugi." Yami said solemnly as he lifted him up to the exit where Jou took as hold of him and he jumped into the exit as well. "We can't leave Aqua! We can't!" Yugi said, tears coming to his eyes again.

"I don't want to either but when we try to drag him away, we might be caught in there to and that's what Kaiba wants."

Honda looked to Aqua. "Aqua, just go. Yugi needs you." he murmured but he shook his head. "We're sticking together!"

"Aqua! Please! Let's get going! I can't lose you!" Yugi cried. "No, I can't. You have gained these friends Yugi and I'm going to make sure they are still with you, especially if something happens to us." Aqua whispered and then looked up to Yugi. "Even if I'm trapped here, remember, I will always love you." he said with a smile. "Aqua!" he called but a block fell, covering up the exit and Yugi pounded on the block, calling Aqua's name.

Honda looked to Aqua. "You should've gone with him, Aqua. I probably would've been fine and Yugi needs you."

He shook his head. "I couldn't be sure that you wouldn't be harmed. Kaiba is targeting Yami and I and dragged you all into his twisted games. Because of us, we put you all into danger that could've meant your deaths." Aqua clenched his eyes tightly, claws leaving deep gashes in the cube holding Honda's jacket. "He'll pay for this! He'll pay!" he said, roaring out in anger which echoed throughout the room.

0

Yugi heard him roar and thought he was hit by a cube. _"Aqua!"_ he cried and closed his eyes, sobbing. "Why...why..." he whispered. Yami walked over to him and pulled him away from the exit, bringing him into his arms and he gripped his shirt, crying still while the others looked on sadly.

0

Zypher: Yes, sad ending but don't worry! You all know, for those that already read the manga, that Honda will be alright and so will Aqua. Everyone knows I can't kill them off for good (except Anzu but who really cares about her). Anyways, hoped you all enjoyed and will be waiting for the next one and the upcoming Death T-4. See you later.


	28. Board Game Deathmatch

Zypher: And here we are with the next chapter to YnG: DA. Glad you all enjoyed the last chapter and as always, enjoy this one as well.

0

Yami no Game: Death's Awakening

Chapter 28

0

"I won't believe it! Honda and Aqua can't be gone! I know that it would take more to get rid of them both!" Jou growled. Yugi was still crying, holding onto Yami. _'Kaiba...you will pay for this...everything you put us through...taking my jii-chan, my friend and my lover from me...you will pay for this with your life...'_ he thought. Yami looked down to him, feeling the anger radiating off of him and looked to the others. "Mind giving us a moment? We'll catch up in a bit." Yami whispered and they nodded as they walked off.

Yami pulled Yugi away from his chest and looked down to him. "Yugi...I want you to calm down. I know Aqua isn't dead. By now, he probably used his demon strength to get them out of there." he said. "But I want them to be here with me. I don't want to continue on with thoughts plaguing me that they're actually dead." Yugi murmured. Yami placed a hand underneath his chin and lifted his head so he would face him. "They will be with us soon, Yugi. Just remember that." Yami said, leaning down to kiss him softly.

Yugi returned the kiss, placing a hand upon Yami's cheek lightly. The kiss continued until Yugi broke away and looked up to him. "I want you to become your demon form." he whispered. "Are you sure? What would Jou and Zella think?" he questioned. "I'll explain that to them when the time comes. I want you to be your demon form. I can see you struggling to not reveal it when around them and I don't want you to struggle anymore. Let it free and show Kaiba that he shouldn't have messed with you in the first place. I want him to know the dangers of messing with demons."

Yami saw the anger and hatred in his eyes and that fueled the urge to turn into his demon side more and with a burst of darkness, an earth shattering roar pierced the air as he shifted into his demon form.

0

The others turned back when they heard the roar. "You don't think..." Zella started. "You'll find out soon." Keara murmured and both Jou and Zella looked to her. "You're hiding something, aren't you?" Jou asked. "Just wait." she told them. Yugi finally appeared with a dark shadow looming behind him, dark cerise eyes looking down at then.

"Yugi...what is that..."

0

Kaiba watched the screen once more, a chessboard with seven pieces by his side. "If this is chess...Yugi is the king, Yami and Aqua his knights and both Jounouchi and Honda must be the rooks. One of his rooks and one of his knights have been captured." he spoke. "The countdown to checkmate has begun..."

Someone entered the room. "They don't give up easy...do they, big brother?" Mokuba questioned.

"Mokuba...?" he said, looking back to him.

"They're almost at the final stage! And you know what that means!" he spoke. "Do you remember your bet with Ruby and I? The one we all made before you started the "Death-T" plan? We bet on the stage Yugi's demons would die in!" he continued. "You bet on Death T-5 and Ruby bet that they wouldn't die at all! Isn't that right, nii-sama?!"

"You bet on Death T-4, didn't you...?"

"Of course I did, you jerk! Death T-4 is the stage where I fight Yami or Aqua!"

"Yes, I know, Mokuba...I bet on the final stage of the theme park, Death T-5...the final game of Duel Monsters!" Mokuba clenched his fists as he glared at his brother. "You know what I mean! You bet on Yami and Aqua instead of me, your own brother! How do you think that feels?!"

"And I still feel the same. You can't beat Yami or Aqua. I opposed your participation from the beginning." he spoke, shocking Mokuba. "Mokuba...you tried to show me up by challenging Yami and Aqua to a game before, didn't you? Do you think I don't know the outcome of that game?" he said.

Mokuba flinched at the cold tone. "Th-That's not...I...I just...I just thought you'd like me if I beat them..." he whispered. He turned to him, a glare marring his features. "Know this! There is no brotherly love in the gaming world! Until you figure that out, you will always be a loser, Mokuba!"

Mokuba took a step back from the outburst but glared right back at him. "I'll show you! I'll beat Yami myself!" Mokuba shouted before turning to two men that stood behind him. "You! Are the preparations for Death T-4 ready?" he questioned.

"Yes sir!"

"Then let's go!" he said. Kaiba turned away from him and Mokuba stomped off. _'Just you watch! Today, I'll finally show nii-sama that I am a gamer!'_

0

"That's Yami!? But...But he's a demon!" Jou cried. "I know. He and Aqua are the reason Kaiba set up this place. He wants a rematch against one of them and he'll get it one way or another. Setting up this place is probably a way to prove if they actually have the strength to defeat him a second time." Yugi explained before clenching his fists. "And he will get that battle, and he will pay for what he's done to Aqua and Honda." he growled before he frowned, looking to them. "And now that you know who they really are, I'm guessing you will become afraid and leave me."

"Yugi, don't think that. What did I tell you before? We're your friends and we're going to stick by you! Yami and Aqua included! They may be demons but they love you and that's what matters the most!" Jou said.

"He's right! You made me feel welcome that day I came into school and I'm sticking by your side like you did for me that day!" Zella said happily.

He smiled and thanked them. "But we have bigger things to worry about! We're going to take down Kaiba together and make him pay his dues for hurting Honda and Aqua!" Jou said and they nodded as they continued to the door leading to the next game. "I can hear cheering! It's from behind that door!" Zella said. "Must be the next game." Keara whispered as they ran through the doorway as the doors slid open. "Th-This is..." Yugi started. "...The second arena!"

"Death T-4! Welcome to my stage, Yugi!" Mokuba called. Yami growled as he looked to him. He turned his gaze to him and smirked, pointing towards him. "Yami! This battle's between you and me! Leave your friends and lover where they are and come to the duel box alone!" he said.

"Go ahead, Yami, and don't let him trick you with anything like he did before." Yugi said. "And since I'm staying behind, take my jii-chan's deck and win that duel against Kaiba!" Yami nodded, taking the deck and kissing his cheek once more before he started walking towards the duel box.

"Hey! That's the loser who's gonna go up against Mokuba!"

"There's no way how he can win!"

Yami didn't care about the children's cheers, only the battle that waits ahead. He opened the door and entered into the duel box where Mokuba waited. "Yami! Congratulations on making it to Death T-4! Too bad for you it was just a warm up and I see that you have lost your little dragon friend." he taunted.

"You never learned your lesson, did you?"

"Nope and I don't care! I don't take lessons from _amateurs_! You may have won against me the first time but it won't happen again!" he growled. "But I'll let you in on something! The last stage you're trying to get to...the final arena with nii-sama...is on the floor above this one...See! That elevator takes you there! And as you can see, you'll have to beat me to get to it!"

"Easy enough. You didn't learn your lesson and I'll tear you apart like I did with those that went against me before." he hissed. "Like you have a chance! You're gonna die at this stage! Along with your friends and lover!" he said and Yami turned back to see four guards holding Zella, Jou, Keara and Yugi. _'Damn. And since Keara doesn't want to reveal her true powers to the others just yet, she can't do much, especially without risking Yugi and his friends' life if she fights back.'_ he thought angrily and turned back to Mokuba.

"You will regret putting them in danger." he snarled. His demon instincts kept repeating 'rend, slaughter and devour' like a mantra within the depths of his mind but he ignored it so he wouldn't cause a bigger scene, especially with the fact he knows Kaiba is watching. "Now! Let the game begin! The competition this time is...Capsule Monster Chess! The virtual reality version!"

_'Again? Fine then. So be it Mokuba but be prepared to lose again.'_

"We will play capsule monsters chess on this board...but the battle will be displayed by virtual reality on the giant field below us!" he instructed and Yami looked down, now noticing the field below them. "Let me give you a demonstration! Watch closely. This strong piece is like me! It will do battle with this pathetic, low level like you!" he said and Yami grunted in anger. He placed the two pieces onto the field. "And there you go! The virtual monsters appear on the field below!" he said as the Level 5 Armorsaurus attacked the Level 1 Hyumoko, destroying it easily.

"And just like he destroyed that weak little monster, I'll destroy you all the same!" Mokuba said with a grin. "And, of course, the loser will have to play a penalty game-the experience of death!"

_'The experience of death? That's the same penalty game that Kaiba did to Yugi's grandfather.'_ he thought. "Fine, I'll take you on! And I promise you, I won't lose." Mokuba grinned more and nodded. "Good. Now, first, we each draw out capsule monsters from the coin machine." he said, pointing to it. "I know. You don't need to explain it to me a second time." Yami hissed as he got up and walked over to the machine, cranking the machine and getting a Level 1 monster. Mokuba took his turn and the cycle repeated until they had five monsters each.

Yami growled as he looked to his monsters and then to Mokuba, which he already placed on the field. Mokuba outright laughed. "There's no way I can lose, Yami!" he said and Yami growled. _'The machine must've been rigged. There's too much of a difference between our monsters, just like before. I bet he set this up so he could win.'_ he thought. "Come on! Place your monsters in your territory! Let's see if you can actually think up a good formation for those monsters!" Mokuba demanded.

Mokuba's capsule monster team was Megaton - Level 5, Nama Hargen - Level 4, Big Foot - Level 5, Zoid "M" - Level 5, and Armorsaurus - Level 5.

Yami's capsule monster team was Mogley - Level 1, Ninja Squid - Level 2, Beeton - Level 2, Brain Slime - Level 1 and Toppo - Level 1.

_'Hmm, the board has one path on each side...but you can get by if the enemy is waiting for you...I have it now!'_ he thought and arranged his monsters on the field. "If you're done then capsules out! Don't cry when you see my monsters, Yami!" he said. "It would take a lot to make me show any emotion other than anger when it comes to you." he hissed and Mokuba laughed.

He laughed even more when he looked at the setup of his monsters. "What's that supposed to be?! All the weaklings clumped together?! This setup sucks just as much as you! You'll lose easily!"

"You'll be surprised. Now, shut your mouth and let start this game."

"Alright! Game Start!" Mokuba called and the monsters appeared on the field below, causing the kids to awe in surprise. "You can do it, Yami! Win this for us!" Zella called.

"We're counting on you!" Jou called. _'There's no flip side the friendship! We'll stick by you through life and death!'_

"I go first! Armorsaurus moves!" The giant armor plated monster moved forward, making the kids' cheers even louder. "You can see where Armorsaurus can move!" One kid shouted form the crowd.

"Your move, Yami!" he said but he was silent, arms crossed and eyes closed. "Did you hear me?! I said it's your **turn**!"

"I pass. I don't need to move." he spoke.

"What?" Mokuba sneered, shock gracing his features. _'Yami...you're up to something! See if I care...'_ he thought. "Fine! If you won't move, I'll come to you!" he said. _'I'll split my monsters into two groups and attack from both front and behind! I'll completely destroy him!'_ He continued to move his monsters forward and with each passing turn, Yami passed.

"That winged kid hasn't made a single move!"

"Mokuba's monsters are closing in on him!"

_'Yami...what are you up to...?'_ Yugi thought.

"_Go!_ Invade the enemy territory!" Mokuba commanded, moving his Nama Hargen in place.

"Look! Mokuba's got him surrounded!"

"This duel is **_mine_**, Yami!" Mokuba said gleefully. Yami's eyes snapped open as he reached down and moved his Beeton.

"Wow! He made his first move!"

"I thought he gave up!"

"You're too late, Yami! I'll attack with Armorsaurus!" The monster roared as the breathed its flames upon his Brain Slime. "He burns your weakling monster in one blast!" Yami wasn't fazed by the attack. "I'm not done yet...Armorsaurus' turn isn't over yet! He attacks one more monster!" he said, his Armorsaurus curling up into a ball and attacking his Toppo. "Already you lost two of your monsters! I'm going to have some fun and destroy all you monsters with just Armorsaurus!" Mokuba said, laughing again.

"Go Armorsaurus! Flatten that wimp!" he said and once again, he curled into a ball and went for Mogley. But he wasn't ready for Mogley to dig underground, making Armorsaurus miss its target completely. "W-what?!" Mokuba said in fear. _'No way! I forgot he can burrow! He can't stop moving so he heading towards one of my own monsters!'_ he thought. When Armorsaurus hit, both he and Megaton was destroyed. _'This is it...this is what he was up to!'_

"You know that high level monster have unrivaled power but you need to learn how to control it! Now you've lost two monsters, Mokuba!" Yami said. "Alright! Yami's fighting back! I was starting to worry!" Jou cheered.

"And now, I'll move Ninja Squid to attack Zoid "M"...and there is only one way how it can defeat a Level 5 enemy." he said. _'Forgive me.'_ he thought to the monster as he commanded it to self-destruct, blowing itself and Zoid "M" up. "No! It took my monster out in a suicide attack!" Mokuba screeched.

"And with it, opened up a new path." he continued and Mokuba looked down to the board. "Huh...?" He gasped when he saw exactly what he meant. _'The evolution space is unguarded! He sacrificed his own monsters to let one weak piece reach the evolution space! With my monsters too far away, I can't stop it from evolving!'_ he thought as Yami leisurely move his Beeton towards the space.

_'When it reaches that space, it will grow three levels! This means that useless Level 2 monster...will transform into a powerful Level 5 monster!'_

"Now, I've reached the Evolution space! Now evolve, Beeton!" he said and below, the tiny larvae started to shift, transforming into a strong monster. The kids whooped and hollered as they watched the spectacle. "No matter how weak a monster is, if you believe in each step it takes, it will become strong!" Yami said, making Mokuba flinch. "Let's go, Hyper Beetle! Attack Nama Hargen!" he commanded and the beetle monster flew off, heading in the direction of Mokuba's monster and destroying it with its Horn Attack.

"Whoa!"

"This is crazy! Mokuba has only one monster left!"

Both monsters faced each other, ready for battle. "Yami...that battle will decide the game!" he said._'Hyper Beetle's long range attacks are powerful but in close quarters, Big Foot is stronger!'_ Mokuba thought with a grin. Yami and Mokuba stared each other down, Yugi, Jou and Zella worrying from the sidelines and kids, watching with bated breath as they waited for the battle to commence. Sparks flew and both Yami and Mokuba called out the command to fight and both monsters charged in.

Their attacks hit quickly and now it was the wait to see who won. Soon, Hyper Beetle fell and Mokuba smirked. "Hyper Beetle is dead! You're done for, Yami!" he said in glee once more. Yami snarled, not saying a word. "Yami...you had another monster hiding on the board, didn't you? Do you think I'll let it get away?"

Mogley poked out from underground, right in front of Big Foot. "This is it! The last monster! Big Foot! Stomp it flat!" Mokuba commanded and the monster prepared to do so. But before it could make another move, a line appeared and soon, the monster split into many pieces, shocking Mokuba and putting the kids in awe. _'No! It can't be! Hyper Beetle's attack was a critical!'_

"Now it's over." he whispered. "I win, Mokuba." Mokuba looked down to the board, trying to see if something went wrong. _'No...it's a mistake...I couldn't have lost again...'_

Jou, Zella and Yugi cheered from their spots. "No way! Mokuba actually lost at Capsule Monsters!" A kid from the crowd shouted. "Who is that winged guy?!"

Jou looked to them. "Morons! He's not "that winged guy"! His name is Yami! He's my bud!" Jou said before looking back to him. _'Alright, that card game with Kaiba is next! You can't lose, Yami.'_ he thought. Mokuba was still berating himself for losing. Yami stood and started to make his way out. "I'm going." Was all he said. _'To the final stage where Kaiba is waiting. He will pay for what he done.'_ he thought.

"Wait! Yami...!" Mokuba called. "I...I won't believe it! There's no way I could lose!" he said. "All of my Capsule Monsters were higher level and stronger that yours! There was no way I could lose to you again!" He snorted and closed the door to the duel box and making his way towards the elevator. But he stopped short when the screens above came on and Kaiba appeared. "Kaiba!" Jou exclaimed.

He laughed softly. "I've been waiting for you, Yami! Good job. I've gotten bored of these amusements. Take that path to the elevator and rise to the final stage!"

"I will! Don't you go anywhere!" Yami hissed. "You'll get your game alright! And you'll pay for harming my friends, my lover and his grandfather!" Kaiba only glared down at him before turning his gaze to Mokuba. "S-Seto...ah...I.." Mokuba started but he cut him off. "I've felt your pathetic, clinging, loser's gaze staring at my back for years...I kept telling you over and over Mokuba...if you play with fire you'll get burned..."

"N-nii-sama!"

"You understand, don't you? Only the winner is allowed out of that duel box! A penalty game awaits the loser! That is the law of Death-T!" Kaiba said, pressing a button and soon, smoke started to fill the duel box. _'No...he wouldn't do that to me...not the experience of death!'_ he cried in his mind as the monsters appeared.

He screamed, catching Yami's attention and he turned back to see Mokuba witnessing the same thing Sugoroku did. "Mokuba!" he called and ran back._'This is crazy! Kaiba putting his own brother through a penalty game!'_ he thought.

Mokuba watched as one monster open its jaws wide, snarling. Yami opened the door and reached in, grabbing Mokuba and pulling him out. He landed on the ground and looked up to Yami. "Why...Why did you save me...?" he asked. "I wouldn't have won this game if I didn't have friends and my lover by my side who reached out to me. And you didn't deserve to go through the experience of death no matter how cruel you were in the first place." he said. The crystal heart around his neck glowed, catching Mokuba's eye.

_'Friends...'_ he pondered and then remembered his brother's words.

_"Mokuba! Until you realize that there no such thing as brotherly love, you will always be a loser!"_

"Nooo!" he cried. Yami soon walked off and he pulled a picture from his robe, a picture of him, Ruby and Kaiba when they were younger. _'Brother...nii-sama has changed...it all started on that day and he dragged Ruby down with him. It's like...he possessed by a demon of gaming...'_ He then looked to Yami's retreating back. _'Yami...maybe when you face my brother...you can bring him back...' __He stood and ran off, having something to do._

0

A metal briefcase was slammed shut and Kaiba took hold of it, heading to the battle dome. "I'm heading to the final stage, Death T-5!" he said to the guards. _'My revenge will end there!'_ he thought.

0

Back in the hall leading to Death T-4, a snarl was heard as the cube that blocked the exit from the previous game was forcibly removed. A dark figure crawled out from the exit, another coming up behind him. "Yami's already heading to the next level and so are the others, Honda." The first whispered. "Then let's get going so we can catch up, Aqua." Honda said, climbing onto his back and with a snarl, he disappeared through the shadows of the hall.

0

Zypher: And here's the end for this chapter. Now we're finally getting to the good part! The rematch between Yami and Kaiba in on the way! Hoped you all enjoy and will be eagerly waiting for the next. See you later!


	29. Endgame: Yami vs Kaiba

Zypher: And here we are! The battle to end all battles, and Death-T! Glad you all enjoyed the last chapter and I know you'll this one as well!

0

Yami no Game: Death's Awakening

Chapter 29

0

Kids started pushing each other and such, stampeding towards the doors that will lead them up to the top. "You're going upstairs as well." The guard behind them said. "You bet! Front row seats if you please! Where we can get a good look at Yami clobbering Kaiba right into the ground!" Jou said. He then pulled the guard's cell phone from its place without him realizing it. "And one more thing...let me borrow this." he said before dialing the number for the hospital. "Who are you calling?" Zella asked, shifting Johji in her arms.

"The hospital where they took Yugi's grandfather. No one could go with him so I asked Hanasaki, once Aqua gave me the info to his place, to check up on him." Jou said.

0

At the hospital, Hanasaki picked up the phone. "Ah, Jounouchi...yes, he's in the emergency surgery right now...it started an hour ago...It's just...the surgeon says...there isn't much hope..."

Jou was shocked on the other side of the line before nodding. /...I see...Hanasaki, stay there and keep watch./

"Yes! I got it!" he said as he hung up the phone when Jou did. He sat down in the chair and looked to the door leading into the surgery room. _'Please, hang in there Grandpa Motou...'_ he thought.

0

"How is he..?" Yugi asked. "It sounds bad..." Jou whispered. Yugi gasped softly and looked down. Jou dialed in another number but no one answered. "Honda isn't answering either...this can't get any worse..." he said before looking up, determined. "Anyway, right now...all we can do is watch over Yami in his battle! We can't give up on him when he needs it the most!" Jou said and they nodded. "He will defeat Kaiba and once he does, I'm giving him a piece of my mind for making them go through all of this and putting his own brother in danger as well." Keara growled as they were led up to the next floor.

0

Yami had a deadly gleam in his eyes as he rode the elevator up to the final game. _'Kaiba...you hurt my friends...my family and my lover...I'll never forgive you! Even if you beg for mercy! Demons are merciless and you'll find that out the hard way!'_he thought as the door slid open and he walked out and looked to the dome where the battle will commence. _'There it is...Death T-5...the dome duel arena...'_

Another set of doors opened on the other side and out walked Kaiba, gaining cheers and compliments from the children. He smirked and looked to Yami. "Welcome to the final stage, Yami!" he told him. He snarled and walked forward along with him, both entering the duel arena and sat down.

Yami glared at him while Kaiba gave him a neutral gaze. "Words mean nothing to us anymore...what will decide our fates...are the cards themselves!" he said, placing his deck down on the table. Yami pulled out Sugoroku's deck from his pocket. "Fine by me! These cards will show you no mercy! Only their anger and rage for what you've done!" he hissed.

_'I congratulate you for getting this far...It's almost a shame that this is where you'll probably die...I have in my deck the three most powerful cards in the world, the Blue Eyes White Dragons! No card exists that can defeat them!'_ he thought. "Before starting the game, we will shuffle and cut each other decks." he said and Yami only nodded as he passed him the deck and he did so in return.

They both shuffled the other's deck before giving them back. _'I believe in your deck and your monsters, Sugoroku. You may have caused slight problems in the past but now, Yugi needs to know you will be alright. I will not let defeat reign in your heart and have it be your death.'_ Yami thought as he drew his five cards.

"Duel!" They both called.

"I'll start this off! I send out Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress in attack mode!" He said, placing the monster onto the field. "I'll take you on! My card is the Hitotsu-Me Giant!" Kaiba said.

"Go, Winged Dragon! Fireball attack!" The dragon roared as it shot out a fireball which hit the weaker monster and destroyed it easily. "Not a good way to start off the duel, Kaiba." Yami spoke as Kaiba life points decreased to 1800. "No matter. It doesn't hurt me a bit!" he said. "I'm just getting started!" He placed down another card onto the field. "And now, I'll summon Wicked Worm Beast in attack mode! Worm Beast, kill that dragon!"

"I'll take you on!" he said as the Winged Dragon flew towards his monster. "Go! Poison Soul attack!" Kaiba commanded as the monster let out a stream of acid. "You should know, the Winged Dragon has the power of flight, making it easy to dodge some attacks." Yami spoke as he dragon evaded the attack. "Now, counter with Fireball attack!" The dragon didn't hesitate to comply and the Worm Beast was easily destroyed. The kids moaned in disdain at his second defeat but Yugi, Jou and Zella cheered from the sidelines.

Kaiba only smirked and placed a monster down in defense. Yami drew and since he wasn't familiar with the monster on Kaiba's field, he placed a monster into defense and ended his turn. "Just so you know, I was a champion before I owned a Blue Eyes and even without one, I can defeat you!" Kaiba said.

"I flip my monster from defense to attack!" he said and the Yami noticed what monster it was. "That's Saggi the Dark Clown." He said. "Yes but even thought his attack is nothing to fear, once I add this magic card to him, you will have something to worry about!" Kaiba said as he placed Dark Energy onto the field, tripling his attack from 600 to 1800.

"Now! Kill that dragon! Dark Glide!" A ball of dark energy gathered into the clown's hands before it shot out, hitting Winged Dragon directly, destroying him and decreasing Yami's life points down to 1400. Yami growled and drew his next card. _'This won't help at all...'_ he thought, looking to the monster. He placed another monster into defense and ended his turn.

"Let's start from the left!" he said, commanding Saggi to attack that defense monster. Yami snarled, being forced to continue to play monsters in defense mode. Children cheered as they saw Kaiba had Yami on the run.

"Yami!" Jou and Yugi called. _'You have to hang in there, Yami...for my jii-chan's sake...'_ Yugi thought.

"Dark Glide!" Kaiba called again and Yami's defensive monster was destroyed. Kaiba chuckled. "Yami...you disappoint me. I don't even need my Blue Eyes to defeat you!" Yami growled before looking down to the deck, remembering the promise Yugi made to his grandfather. _'And he trusts in me to help him with that. I must have faith in the deck and his grandfather!'_ he thought before looking back to Kaiba. "Kaiba...do your cards have the power of your trust?"

"What do you mean?" he questioned.

"I believe in these cards! I believe that they will grant me what I need to defeat you!" He hissed and drew his card, smirking. "I play Gaia the Fierce Knight!" Kaiba was shocked when he saw this. "Go! Vanquish Saggi with Spiral Saber!" The Knight charged forward upon his mount before hitting the clown with a sharp, spiral edged cut that defeated the powered up monster.

Kaiba wasn't fazed at all, only chuckled again. "I suppose the deck of a game store owner would have to have a decent card or two." he said.

"You can't predict this duel...not until the very end..."

"Don't get arrogant...I know how this will end!" Kaiba said, a smirk still plastered onto his face as he drew his next card. The smirked widened even more as he gazed onto the card. "I've drawn the Blue Eyes White Dragon, Yami! This duel is mine!" he said as he placed the powerful monster onto the field. "Too bad for you! Just after you drew your trump card!"

"He finally got the Blue Eyes White Dragon!"

"Yaay! Kaiba won!"

Kids continued to cheer as Jou, Yugi and Zella watched in fear. "Now! Blue Eyes White Dragon! Attack with Burst Stream of Destruction!" The dragon roared and gathered energy in its jaws before shooting the white energy stream towards Gaia, defeating him and bringing Yami's life points down to 700.

Kaiba laughed as he watched the monster be destroyed. "Die, Gaia, and prepare a place in hell for your master!" he gloated. "Well, Yami? You're finished! And remember, I have two more Blue Eyes in my deck! When they come out, nothing you put down will save you!"

Yami's eyes narrowed, snarling under his breath. "Now draw, Yami..."

He drew his card and placed the Horn Imp in defense mode. Kaiba ordered the Blue Eyes to attack again, easily incinerating the monster. "It's painful to watch! As long as you play your monsters in defense, your life points don't change...no matter how many monsters I slaughter! But you're only drawing out your inevitable demise!"

_'He's right for once but if I play just one monster in attack mode, I'll lose the duel and I won't fail my lover and his grandfather!'_ he thought. "Now play your next monster! Eventually, you'll run out of cards! Then you will lose!" Kaiba said. He growled lowly and placed Beaver Warrior in defense mode and gave the turn to Kaiba.

"Attack...!" he started and chuckled. "...is that what you expect me to do? I won't...not this time! Rather than put your "Beaver Warrior" out of its misery, I'll draw another and increase the size of my army!" he drew his card and smirked. "It looks like the goddess of victory is one my side...my next card is...Blue Eyes White Dragon!" he spoke, placing the second dragon down onto the field. "On my next turn, these two will attack at the same time! Your immortal life is over, Yami!"

Yami clenched his teeth in anger, seeing his options were wearing thin._'I could play another monster this turn, but next turn I'd be defenseless! His dragons can kill two of my monsters each turn and I can only draw one new card! I failed...I failed both_ _Sugoroku_ _and Yugi...'_

_'I win, Yami! You can't defeat me a second time! Not when I have two of the most powerful beasts on my side and you are left with none!'_ Kaiba thought. Yami closed his eyes, ready to accept the defeat but a voice cried out to him. /Yami! Don't give up! Please don't give up on me! I know you can win!/ Yugi said through the link.

/But how? I have no monsters that could defeat his Blue Eyes. I failed you both./ Yami whispered.

/Please, Yami! Don't think that way! I know you can figure out something! We've made it this far. Don't lose hope now. For me...don't lose hope./ Yugi whispered. _'He's right. I can't give up now. This is what Kaiba wants me to do so he can get his revenge. Yugi believes in me and so are his friends. I'm not fighting this duel alone!'_ He looked down to the deck. _'This duel rides on this card!'_ He drew the card and smirked. "I play Swords of Revealing Light!" he called, placing the card onto the field and Kaiba gasped as the swords made from light trapped his dragons.

"What!"

_'Good...I'm safe for the next three turns.'_ he thought. From the sidelines, Yugi smiled. _'I knew you wouldn't give up. Show him who's a true duelist.'_ Yugi thought. "Feh...you still won't give up? You're beginning to annoy me..." Kaiba spoke.

"Way to go, Yami! The duel isn't over yet!" Jou cheered.

Kaiba snorted, looking to Jou quickly before turning his gaze back to Yami. "Well...you've used up the last of your luck...they will only be bound for three turns! What can you do within three turns to defeat them?"

_'He's right...as much as I hate to admit it, there's not much I can do.'_ he thought, looking to the three pieces of a monster in his hands. _'And I can't figure out what these cards are used for. I can see they create a monster but which one?'_

Yugi can feel Yami's distress and closed his eyes. _'You can't lose, Yami...'_ he thought, unaware of a familiar presence nearby. He opened his eyes, seeing his grandfather standing there. "Jii-chan..." he whispered. "You look down, Yugi..." he said. "Your friend hasn't given up, has he?"

"No but he doesn't have any more moves left. He's going to lose." Yugi whispered.

"Yugi...not too long ago you were suffering. Remember how you got over it that time..." he spoke and Yugi looked down to the puzzle.

"With the Sennen Puzzle...I completed the Sennen Puzzle and met Yami and Aqua!"

He nodded. "You put each piece of that puzzle in its place...you didn't give up...you believed in yourself and completed the puzzle. Even though it took you eight years and you didn't know about Yami and Aqua being the demons from the myth." He chuckled softly. "Yugi! There is nothing meaningless in this world! Like pieces of a puzzle. The cards are just the same..." he said before turning and walking off. _'Jii-chan...'_ he thought and then took hold of the puzzle. _'The Sennen Puzzle...and the cards...Wait! I know what he's talking about!'_ he thought and closed his eyes again, opening them once more to see he was back in the arena.

/Yami! I figured out something that will help you!/ Yugi called.

/What could it possibly be?/ he questioned.

/My jii-chan's deck...it contains Exodia!/ he said.

_'Exodia? His grandfather has the actual pieces of Exodia in his deck? If that true then that's the only thing that will save me.'_ he thought. _'And I already have three of the sealed pieces.'_

"Yami! What are you waiting for?! Draw your card!" Kaiba sneered. He drew his card and saw he drew the Right Arm of the Forbidden One. _'Great! Just one more and Kaiba is finished.'_ he thought. But Kaiba only sat there, smirking. _'His expression has changed...but there's no card better than the Blue Eyes...Yami's hope is like the last flicker of a candle before it's blown out...'_ Kaiba through before drawing his card. "Well, it's dull just sitting here so...I'll use Judgeman to destroy your defensive monster...the stress will do you good." he spoke as he send out the monster and with a swing of its maces, destroyed Beaver Warrior.

"Two turns left!" Kaiba gloated and Yami snorted as he took his turn and drew a card. _'The Black Magician! I would play it in defense mode but it won't survive long again his Judgeman. And his attack power doesn't even match up with the Blue Eyes.'_

"I send out Black Magician in attack mode!" he called, placing the purple robed magician onto the field. Kaiba growled. "The futile struggle of the condemned continues! Give up, Yami! You can't win!" he hissed. "I will! Go Black Magician! Attack with Black Magic attack!" he said and in a flash of black energy, Judgeman was defeated. "I won't give up Kaiba. As I said in our last duel, waiting will make your defeat ever closer and it will be more damaging than before!"

"It doesn't matter. It's the last turn. After this, you have no chances left." Kaiba said as his life points decreased to 1000. "And the last card I drew is..." He drew the card and smirked. "The third Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"

_'No!'_

Kaiba placed the monster on the field. "Now destroy the Black Magician with Burst Stream of Destruction!" The dragon roared and launched its attack, destroying Black Magician and Yami's life points lowered to 200. Yami swallowed his fear, glaring at Kaiba. "Draw your last card, Yami! No matter what it is, you will die!"

Jou tried to run forward but was held back. "Yami! You can't lose! You can win this!"

"I know you can win, Yami!"

"We've made it this far! Kaiba can't win against you!"

Kaiba only laughed as he stared down at Yami across the board. "My Blue Eyes are released! On the next turn, they will be free to attack and when they do, your life points will go down to negative 8800!" he said and laughed more. Yami snarled, teeth bared, not planning to accept defeat so easily. "Well, Yami...it's your turn...your last turn...draw the card that will mean the end of your life and the success of my revenge!"

_'I have the arms and legs of the forbidden one...I need the last piece but with 40 cards in Sugoroku's deck, it's impossible that the next card will be the one I need...I may truly lose and lose so much...'_ Yami thought.

_'Yami...please...you have to pull through...'_ Yugi thought, feeling the spark of defeat rising higher through the link. "Do it now, Yami! Draw your card or admit defeat!" Kaiba shouted. "Delaying the inevitable won't help you this time!"

Yami reached out to draw his card but Kaiba can see his hand shaking with fear of his last draw. _'That's it...you know this time you lost...draw your last card and surrender so you can rest in peace...rest in peace for eternity!'_ Before he could touch the top card, the deck pulled away and he gasped. _'The cards, they can feel my fear...they can sense that I want to escape drawing the last card...'_he thought and let out a shuddering breath.

_'I'm afraid...afraid to draw the last card...'_

He looked up, seeing a golden-yellow glow accompanied with lavender, deep amethyst, bronze, aquamarine and ruby/onyx. His friends and Yugi soon appeared, placing their hands over the deck.

"We're here for you, Yami. Don't forget that."

He smiled and looked back down to the deck. _'I'm not afraid anymore. My friends and my lover are with me. That alone will give me this win and Kaiba will be crushed!'_ he thought and smiled, drawing his card but his smile confused Kaiba. _'What happened? A moment ago his face was twisted in fear...he's smiling now. Is he accepting defeat? Has he accepted that he's going to die?'_ he pondered.

"No, Kaiba! Its hope and satisfaction you're seeing! Prolonging things always wins in the end and your defeat will make my win all the more fulfilling!" he said. "My next card is...Exodia the Forbidden One!" He said. _'What...?...Exodia? It can't be!'_

"I have all five pieces right here in my hand! Now Exodia, awaken!" he spoke, placing the five cards onto the field._'No?_**_NO_**_! He used the Exodia cards...! But the chances of anyone succeeding with assembling Exodia are impossible!'_ Kaiba thought in shock.

A five pointed star hovered above Yami and soon, the large hulking monster that was Exodia appeared. "Now, Exodia! Take down his Blue Eyes with Exodia Flame!" The monster roared and it gathered the bright energy in its hand and shot it towards the three Blue Eyes, demolishing them in one infinite blow.

"N-no...m-my Blue Eyes White Dragons...Th-They just...just..."

"Your Blue Eyes are powerful...but even weak monsters can join together sometimes. And together, they can create an infinite power which can defeat any enemy!" Yami spoke. "It's over, Kaiba! I win!"

"Alright! Yami won!" Jou cheered. "I knew he could make it!" Zella said happily. _'Thank you, Yami. You did it...you defeated Kaiba with my jii-chan's deck...'_ Yugi thought, smiling. Johji finally woke up, wondering where all the noise was coming from but when he saw the gun, he played dead so they wouldn't notice he was awake and try something.

Jou looked behind him to the guards. _'Now...gotta do something about these goons...but I can't put Zella and Yugi in danger.'_ Jou thought. Snarling was heard behind them and before the guards can turn, one was hit over the back of the head. Two others had their heads knocked together.

Jou, after the guard holding him was knocked unconscious, turned to see Aqua and Honda standing there. "Honda! Aqua! You two survived after all!" Jou exclaimed before kicking the last one. "Thank Aqua! If he didn't reveal himself as a demon, we probably would've never got out." Honda said.

Yugi grinned and jumped into Aqua's arms. "Oh, Aqua! I thought you were surely dead!" Yugi cried. "I would never die, Yugi. I won't leave you alone." he said, kissing his forehead lightly before looking to Keara. "Now, don't you have something to settle with Kaiba?" he questioned and she nodded.

"Yes. Yes I do. Come on, Aqua." she said and they started making their way towards the dome after Aqua placed Yugi back down. Aqua opened the door and Keara entered, looking towards Kaiba. "Kaiba, if I actually cared, I would be ashamed of you but the only thing I'm ashamed of was the things you forced Yami and Aqua through for revenge." she said.

"But I wanted to win. I wanted them to feel the sting of defeat that I felt! I don't lose at any game but they...they humiliated me!" he said but his eyes widened as he held a hand up to his reddened cheek. Keara snarled in anger as she lowered her hand after slapping Kaiba.

"You disgust me! I never saw such a selfish, self-centered person in all my life! Kaiba, if you want a true win, learn to put faith and trust into your cards like Yami did. Only then will your win feel like a good one and not some win only fueled by revenge towards your opponent. But, of course, you won't learn that lesson with darkness still reigning you heart." she said and turned to Aqua.

"If you will." He nodded and glared at Kaiba. "I can already see that, like your brother, the loser will have to go through a penalty game and I'm guessing yours was the same as the one our koi's jii-chan went through.

"With us, the penalty for losing is death but I won't do that to you. Oh no...instead I will destroy the part of your heart filled with evil!" he hissed, Sennen Eye glowing. "Mind Crush!" he roared as he breathed out a dark, magical flame that wrapped around his mind, making quick work of the evil. The children gasped at the spectacle, already shocked at seeing Kaiba lose. Inside of him, he felt like his heart was breaking apart into puzzle pieces and once the flames disappeared, his eyes were dulled but he was still breathing.

"Learn from this and maybe you can challenge one of us again." Aqua murmured.

Back where the others were, one of the guards got up before grabbing hold of Jou and held the gun up to his face. "You little brat! You'll pay for this!" The guard growled. "Jou!" Yugi cried and Yami looked back to them before snarling in anger and shadows started pooling around his feet, slithering towards the guard and would've impaled him if a voice didn't break the silence.

"Let him go!" Mokuba said as he stepped in.

"M-Mokuba-sama!"

"I said let him go! The game is over!"

"Y-yes sir!" The guard spoke before releasing Jou. "Is that Kaiba's..." Honda started and Jou nodded. "Yeah, his little brother. He's just as big of a creep as his brother!" Jou muttered.

"Well, that "creep" saved our lives actually." Honda said, getting a confused glance from Jou. "What do you mean?"

"We were locked in that room, cubes still dropping. Aqua told me that he was a demon and was planning to get us out but he couldn't do much with the blocks still dropping and him not knowing where they would land. They soon stopped and we heard him telling up that he shut off the machine. After that, Aqua turned demon and removed the block on my jacket and then removed the one blocking the exit from that room." Honda explained.

"Don't take it personally! I just owed Yami a favor..." he grumbled. Yami, Aqua and Keara soon arrived back with the group and they smiled. "Yami! I can't believe you did it!" Jou said happily as he slung an arm around his shoulders. Honda smiled as well. "Great to know you defeated Kaiba! Wish Aqua and I could've been here to see it." he said.

"I wouldn't have made it if your all weren't behind me to support me. You may think demons can't fear something but I did in that duel. Facing down three Blue Eyes White Dragons and only one draw that would determine the end of it all was frightening. Any normal person would've probably broke down and surrendered." Yami said. "Glad to help! You may be demons but you're still our friends!" Jou said. Mokuba took a glance at them before calling the men and was about to walk off. "Mokuba..." Zella called softly and he gazed at her from the corner of his eye.

"Can you tell me something? Why did Kaiba do all this? Why did he plan this revenge...?" she asked.

He was silent before he spoke up. "It all started with that chess game..."

"When my brothers, Seto and Ruby, were ten and I was five...we had already lost our parents...mother died soon after I was born...father died in an accident when I was three...

"Our relatives used up our inheritance, then left us at an orphanage! But life at the orphanage wasn't all that bad. Seto taught me chess. We lived to play each day...but that time...when that picture was taken...was the last time I saw my brothers smile. Not long after that..._**he**_ came to the orphanage...to adopt an heir...Gozaburo Kaiba...Seto knew he was the president of Kaiba Corp...and a world grandmaster of chess. Seto challenged him.

"The deal was that if Seto won, he was to adopt him, Ruby and myself...and he won...but he won by cheating! And so our last name was changed to Kaiba but Ruby changed his to Jewelstone but he was still considered part of the family...but the life we began that day as the opposite of what we had hoped for! That man was a monster.

"He put Seto and Ruby into a special accelerated school program. Day in and day out, he forced them to study: foreign languages, social studies, economics, game strategy...it was like endless torture...but what he didn't realize was that he wasn't creating his heirs...he was creating powerful enemies! Six years later, they gained control of the company and Gozaburo left.

"But he came back to deal with why Seto was taking so long with the Death-T project and he told him the reason. This angered him and Seto pinned him as a loser and like all losers they should be dealt with and Gozaburo did just that, killing himself. That notion was burned into his mind and now he thinks all losers deserve death. If he hadn't cheated at that game that day...maybe I would still have my brothers...the way they used to be...maybe they wouldn't have forgotten to smile..." he finished, tears coursing down his face.

"Mokuba...right now, Kaiba is picking up his pieces of his heart in the darkness..." Aqua whispered. "Huh...?" He looked towards him and still saw the same dulled look in his eyes. "He's reassembling the shattered puzzle of his heart! One piece at a time, with his own strength...so that this time, he won't make mistakes." Just as Aqua said, a younger version of Kaiba was sorting through the pieces of his heart, trying to put them together. He smiled softly when he found two pieces that connected.

"Aqua...my brother will come back, won't he...and what about Ruby...?" Mokuba asked. "He will come back and Ruby will be fine. Unlike Kaiba, he can sort out his own heart and break free from the demon that reigns there. He follows Kaiba just like you do even though they're equal in power so the demon inside of him doesn't control him as much as the one within Kaiba did." he explained. _'That might explain why Ruby thought that Yami or Aqua wouldn't lose at all, even if the chances of Seto's defeat could ruin them and the company...'_ Mokuba thought and then smiled.

"I'll wait for your forever...I promise, nii-sama...forever..." Mokuba whispered. They smiled to him before they all left out from Kaiba Land, happy to be done with the theme park of death. Jou left the group to call the hospital and came back with a grin. "Hey, Yugi! I called the hospital! Hanasaki told me that your grandfather's surgery went great! They say he's the healthiest collectible card game player they've ever seen!" Jou exclaimed and Yugi smiled as he jumped into Yami's arms. "Jii-chan's ok!" he said happily.

"We're both glad to hear that." Yami said before he looked around. "Hey, where'd Keara go?" he asked. "She said she wanted to do something real quick but she'll be back in a minute or two." Zella said. "Let's wait for her and then we can go visit jii-chan!" Yugi said and they nodded.

"I'm going too!" Johji said.

"You go to sleep!" Honda growled.

"Boy, it was a long day, wasn't it?" Jou questioned. _'Come to think of it, when did Yami and Aqua returned to normal...?'_ he thought but didn't ponder on it more. Keara soon came back and they turned to her. "Whoa, where did he come from?" Jou asked, pointing to the young dragon in her arms. "From a place you wouldn't believe unless you see it for yourself. He's the same Blue Eyes that Kaiba ripped up." Keara explained, pointing to the wound on his stomach that was healed but left a scar.

"Why did you bring him from wherever you got him from?" Honda asked. "To give to Yugi's grandfather. I know that this Blue Eyes is a very close friendship bond between him and someone else and I don't want to see that bond ruined because of Kaiba ripping up the card that meant so much to him." Keara said. "That's great! That would make jii-chan very happy." Yugi said as he asked for the dragon and Keara happily let him hold him. The dragon cooed softly and nuzzled his chest, making him smile.

"We should be going before it gets late, Yugi." Aqua said and he nodded as they all left to head to the hospital to see Sugoroku.

0

Zypher: And that's the end of Death-T! Glad that you all enjoyed these chapters and now we're getting close to Monster World and the introduction of Ryou and Diamond! But, of course, we won't be getting to that so early. I have much more planned for Yugi and his two demon lovers before they go on with the last journey of this story. But I know you'll all enjoy them as always! And before I forget, since I forgot about the last kiriban I made in the first place, the next one will be at 135 reviews! So keep them coming and tell me when you reach it! See you soon!

Note: The black flames that Aqua used is one of the abilities I've given to him a long while back, basically when I first created him and had my imagination add him as I watched Yugioh itself. It's mainly shadow magic formed into flames that contain the same abilities as Yami's Mind Crush but can also be used to deal penalty games that doesn't involve death to the loser and bring monsters from the Shadow Realm if needed.

But of course all these abilities won't be showing up until the sequel but it is a nice little way to know more about Aqua when it comes to stories of him being a spirit or something that comes from the Sennen Puzzle since I created these way before I started writing stories, just never got to them since none of my stories contain full-blown duels. Same goes for the ability to merge with monsters that all my original Yugioh characters have, both real and virtual. For some reason I think it's a stupid or crazy ability I gave to them but I couldn't help it. You tell me what you think and that will tell me whether to keep them with that ability or give it up during the sequel.


	30. Hard Beat

Zypher: Next chapter is on the way! Glad you like the last chapter and hope you'll enjoy this one!

Note to Happy Helper: Yes, I loved your idea and once I can get a plot, a summary and a good title going, I'll have it posted up. If you wish, you can help me out more with that story. Help from other with my stories is always appreciated.

0

Yami no Game: Death's Awakening

Chapter 30

0

_There's something I think of every morning as I wait for the bus._

Yugi yawned softly as he waited on the bus stop. He didn't get much sleep last night since the visit with his grandfather lasted into the wee hours of the morning until Yami brought him home when he got too tired to stay awake. _'I hope something fun happens today! After everything I've went through, I need something that isn't threatening my health.'_ he thought as the bus finally came and he climbed on along with the other students heading to school.

"Next stop. Domino High School."

Yugi was stuck in between many people, thinking that maybe he should've asked for Tu Long or Jin Long to take him to school. _'No need to burden them, though.'_ he thought. He looked to another section of the bus and saw Hanasaki. "Ohayou gozaimasu, Hanasaki-kun!" he said and he looked to him before turning away. "Huh...he ignored me...I wonder if something's wrong?" he murmured to himself.

"Emergency stop!"

The bus came to a screeching halt, causing Yugi, who wasn't holding onto anything, to tumble back. He reached out grab something but then realize there was nothing in the back of the bus. He held his hands up to his ears though when he heard loud, pounding music. _'Ugh! What is that noise?!'_ he thought and turned to look behind him and gulped in fear.

_'Uh oh! It's Sozoji from Class C!'_ he thought and then started sneaking his way back into the crowd._'No wonder why no one is close to him...that noise is so loud it will make someone deaf...hope he doesn't notice me...'_ he thought as he continued to inch back towards the crowd.

But luck wasn't on his side as one of Sozoji's eyes snapped open. "Stop right there, Yugi!" he called and Yugi felt a quick, three second freeze happen when Sozoji caught him. He pats the seat next to him. "Hey! Place next to me is open! Have a seat!" he said and not wanting to cause any trouble, moved to sit next to him. "There's something I wanted to talk to you about!" he spoke. "Bad feeling..." Yugi whispered. "It's about time for another one of my famous "All night Solo Live Shows!" I bet you've missed my beautiful voice, haven't you?" he questioned.

_'I knew it...'_

_This is Sozoji's feared monthly recital! I've experienced it twice in the past before I met Yami and Aqua. Sozoji calls several audience members to a karaoke room, you pay, and displays his beloved singing voice until morning. An event that gets seven stars for annoyance! Testimonials from others that heard him sings proves it!_

Mr. A - I'll never go again!

Mr. B - I was sick for three days after...

Mr. C - Gaahhh! Please stop!

"So anyways, Yugi! I want you to sell 10 tickets for the show!" Sozoji said.

"What?!" Yugi said in shock.

"Heh heh...its 2,000 yen (about $17 US) each, but to hear my singing voice, that's cheap!" he said with a laugh, holding out the tickets to him. "Try and get a 6:4 ratio of girls to boys!" Yugi took them, gulping lightly. _'Maybe I should've asked Tu Long to give me a ride...but then again, Sozoji probably would've found me anyway...'_ he thought. "The date is three days from now." Sozoji spoke up, causing Yugi to look back at him. "Alright? You know what'll happen to you if you don't sell those tickets! Right, Yugi?" he said, cracking his knuckles threateningly.

_As I reach school, I think something different..._

_'I hope something fun happens someday...'_ Yugi thought as he walked into the school building and was greeted by Jou. "Ohayou gozaimasu, Yugi!" he said, waving to him. "Oh...ohayou gozaimasu, Jou!" he said happily but he caught onto his downed state. "Hey, is something wrong, Yugi? It isn't about what happened yesterday still, is it?" he asked.

"No, it's not about that. It's nothing, really." Yugi spoke. "Are you absolutely sure?" he questioned and he nodded. "You better be sure, Yugi. I told you yesterday, we are here for one another! My pain is your pain! We'll go through anything, thick or thin!" Jou continued on and on and Yugi lowered his head once more, catching his attention again.

"Yugi...is something bothering you? Tell me! I'm here for you!" Jou said, grabbing his shoulders. "Don't make me have to go and call Yami or Aqua to come here."

"No no no! It's alright! Perfectly fine! No need to call them! They need to rest after yesterday and I don't want to burden them! Ok, Jou? Thanks anyways..." Yugi said quickly. Jou smiled and nodded, letting him go.

"Alright!"

Yugi smiled to him, talking with him until class started and he headed back to his seat. _'Thanks, Jou.'_ he thought.

_After that, I felt a little better..._

_Of course, if I told Jou about the tickets I was forced to sell, I'm sure that he, and possibly Honda, will pick a fight with Sozoji. And I definitely don't want to get Zella to that jerk's terrible voice!_

_'I can't make my friends suffer like that. I couldn't even dare ask Yami and Aqua to come with me that night. Sozoji will probably make them go deaf easily because of their heightened senses.'_ he thought and then remembered what Sozoji said.

_"You know what'll happen to you if you don't sell those tickets!"_

He sighed and laid his forehead on his desk, tuning out the lesson.

0

_In the end it seemed like I would go home with the tickets still in my pocket..._

Yugi headed towards the door and then spotted Hanasaki by the lockers near the door. Yugi started to pull a ticket from his pocket but the stuffed it back inside. _'What am I thinking? I can't do that to Hanasaki. He's my friend even though we knew each other only for a short while.'_ Yugi thought and walked by. "Ja ne, Hanasaki-kun." Hanasaki looked up when he heard him walk by.

"Yugi..." He pulled a ticket from his pocket and held it out to him. "S-Sorry to bother you but...C-Could you buy this ticket from me...?" he asked. Yugi gasped softly. _'Great, Sozoji got him too.'_ he thought. "You know Sozoji from Class C right...these are the tickets for his show and he wants me to sell five of them." Hanasaki murmured.

_'Five? He has less than me.'_ Yugi thought before he started digging through his pocket. _'And I didn't even bring extra money but of course, who would be walking around with a ton of yen in their pocket? I'll be mauled once someone finds out and steals it all.'_

"Sorry, I don't have any extra money with me to buy that ticket." he said, looking to him and saw him lowering his gaze. "But let's do this! Give me your tickets and I'll sell them for you!"

"Huh...? I...Is that ok with you, Yugi? I don't want to burden you with my problems..." Hanasaki spoke as he took the five tickets from his pocket. "Yeah...then if you don't want to go, you don't have to." Hanasaki smiled and bowed to him. "Thank you so much, Yugi. I couldn't ask for a better friend." he whispered and Yugi smiled before he left out.

_'I should be the only one to suffer through this. No need for other people listen to what's supposed to be Sozoji's beautiful voice.'_ he thought as he walked home._'Maybe I can ask Aqua to make another one of these crystal heart necklaces for Hanasaki.'_

_So, I now have 15 tickets in my pocket..._

"10, 15, same difference..."

Hanasaki watched as he left and sighed softly. "I thought Yugi looked a little gloomy today but I'm glad he decided to help me out." he said. The door opened behind him and Sozoji poked his head out from the opening. "Hanasakiiiii...I saw that. You think you can take the easy way out...?" he questioned darkly as he came out fully and Hanasaki turned to see him standing there. He gasped but his cries weren't heard by anyone else.

0

_And with 15 tickets still in my pocket, and trying to keep my feeling of dread hidden from Yami and Aqua_(I learned now that they're wizzes at reading the simplest of emotions and discomfort)_, the day of the solo live show came!_

Yugi sat on the chair that was on the room, looking up to Sozoji, which he had to say looked like a horrible cosplay of Elvis, holding two hand bells in both his hands. His lips were sealed as Sozoji glared down at him. "Yugi...what did you just say...?" he growled, making him flinch.

"Are you saying you didn't sell one ticket?!"

"I-I'm sorry, but everyone was busy today...but...I'll listen to your songs, Sozoji..."

"Damn right! You'll stay with me all night! And this show's going to be a live show of blood!" he sneered as he took out a pair of snare headphones. "First of all, you'll listen with these!"

Yugi gulped as he took the headphones shakily and placed them over his ears. Sozoji put the jack into the stereo and put the volume to max before taking his place on the stage and took hold of the microphone. "Let's start with my favorite! Let's go!" He screeched and started singing, causing Yugi to jump up in his seat.

He wished to any god to stop the horrible noise but knew if he tried to take the headphones off, he would get beaten. _'He...he can't be human...'_ Because of all the noise, he couldn't block the link properly and back at the game shop, Yami and Aqua were holding their own ears, snarling.

"What the hell is that noise?! It's sound like a harpy is screeching into my ear at a very close distance!" Aqua hissed, tail flicking side to side wildly. "I don't know but it's coming through the link so Yugi is being forced to listen to the racket!" Yami snarled. "Yugi will go deaf by this is we don't get him out of there!" Aqua responded and they soon shifted into their demon forms and with a quick explanation to Keara, they were gone, still holding their ears.

0

Soon, Sozoji stopped and smirked. "Yow! That made me shiver! Now, before the next number, let's introduce our _special_ guest!" he said and pulled the curtain from behind him away, revealing Hanasaki's bruised form.

"Hanasaki!" Yugi called, his ears still ringing.

Sozoji chuckled. "Look at the poor thing...that must hurt...It's your fault for stealing his tickets, Yugi!" he said. Yugi jumped out of his seat and ran to him, headphones still over his ears, and tried to wake him up. "Hanasaki! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I was only trying to help you..." he whispered.

Hanasaki coughed lightly and looked up to him. "I'm the one who should apologize...you tried to take on my burden...this would've happened no matter what you did to help me out...I'm being punished because he found out I was trying to sell a ticket to you...I'm really sorry..." he murmured before falling unconscious again.

"Hanasaki!" Yugi cried.

Soon shadows pooled beside him and he looked down. Sozoji also saw this and was about to question it when they shot up, hitting the roof of the room, like a giant deluge made by a depth charge, but soon fell like water and left in its place were Yami and Aqua. Aqua growled as he looked to Sozoji and then down to Yugi.

"Koi, are you alright?" he asked. He nodded and stood. "I'm fine, just a little ringing in my ears but Hanasaki isn't. He was hurt badly. Can you heal him?" Yugi asked. "I can see. We're not really made to heal wounds like we used to." Aqua replied before running a hand over the bruises, eyes glowing as the bruises soon healed completely.

As Aqua was doing this, Yami glared at Sozoji. "You have trespassed on grounds you should never cross, Sozoji. You will pay for harming them with your merciless punishment and dreaded music." Yami hissed, taking the headphones off from Yugi and yanked the jack out from the stereo, a crease in the jack landing on a nearby glass rim. "Let me ask you this question...are you a coward?"

"What?!" he exclaimed, still in shock and surprise that they showed up for Yugi, that they were demons and that Yugi was their lover.

"If you're not then don't try and escape from the game I'm going to start!" He said. _'A game? He must be crazy!'_ Sozoji thought.

"I call this game...The Silence Game!" he whispered as he sauntered to the seat Yugi took previously and sat down, placing the headphones around his neck. Yugi whispered something to Aqua and he nodded before Yugi went over to Yami's side and sat next to him, placing his head upon Yami's shoulder and he smiled down to him before turning back to Sozoji. "Before I explain the rules to your little game, let me get some tools." he said and snapped his fingers. A wisp of shadows appeared on the table before disappearing and left two items on the table.

"The toy is called the Sound Pierrot-French for "clown." As you can see, I'm using them for our game. If you make any sound, the sensor will pick up the sound and start to dance. By the rules of the game, after we're given the signal to start, neither one of us can't make a single sound. We must stay perfectly silent. The first to make a sound and make the clown dance loses. Sound good to you?" he explained and Sozoji nodded. "What will happen if you lose?"

"If I lose..." He chuckled softly. "I'll give you my life. Think of the money you could make bringing in a demon, dead or alive." he said and Sozoji grinned. "But, of course, if you lose, you will pay with yours." he said, eyes glinting with a hungry gleam and Sozoji flinched a little at seeing the glint. "Game Start!" he said and they both stayed silent. "I hope you win, Yami." Yugi spoke and Sozoji would've laughed. _'The twerp! He's going to lose it for his lover already!'_ he thought but looked down and saw the Sound Pierrot wasn't dancing.

_'Hey?! It isn't dancing! He said that when we make a sound, it would dance!'_ he thought and Aqua looked to him. "I can see what you're thinking. Yes, the Sound Pierrot would be dancing because he spoke but this is a game between you and Yami. Yugi isn't bound to the rules so he as well as Hanasaki and I can speak freely without disrupting the game." he said and Sozoji's face twisted into a snarl but didn't let the sound come from his lips. _'No matter. I'll win this game and have his head on a plaque on my wall!'_

They were silent for another good few minutes and Sozoji started to shift in his seat. _'Tch...this room should be ringing with my beautiful voice! It shouldn't be silent in here! But it's worth it if I'll get to take a demon's life and make good money out of it!'_ he thought. He looked towards the glass and saw the jack just tipping off the edge of the rim and he grinned. _'That idiot! He hadn't realized that when he pulled the jack out, he had it get stuck on the rim of the glass! It's only a matter of seconds before it falls and makes a sound, giving the game to me!'_ he thought.

Yugi also saw this and looked to Yami. /Yami, what if that jack falls? It will make a sound and you will lose./ Yugi said through the link. /Don't worry. I won't lose. Just keep watching and you'll see what will make Sozoji lose./ he replied and he nodded.

Sozoji only continued to watch the jack, holding the microphone tightly. _'Fall! Fall! Man, my heart is pounding! This is getting exciting!'_ he thought, sweat beading down his face as he continued to watch as the jack quivered on its place on the glass. _'Fall already!'_ he thought once again but it didn't fall. _'When is that thing going to fall?! I want to win this game so I can get back to my show for these two pathetic punks!'_ he thought. He was unaware of the beating sound coming from the speakers until the Sound Pierrots started dancing.

_'What the...! The Pierrot is dancing!'_ Sozoji thought in shock. _'But the jack didn't fall! Then what sound...!'_ He finally heard it and looked up to the speakers, hearing the steady beats of a heart. Yugi heard it as well and looked to Sozoji. "That's what it was! You held your microphone too close to your chest that it caught the beats of your heart!

"And earlier, you turned the volume to max so your heartbeats were loud enough through the speakers to make the Pierrots dance!" Yugi said. "He's right. The mic you hold has done you in. Now, your life is mine!" he hissed as he stood, removing the headphones and handing them to Yugi before walking towards Sozoji who started to back away.

"Can you just imagine how good a human meal is if you were a demon? I can. Sweet blood dripping from a torn throat...splattering onto the ground and walls as I sink my teeth into the rich flesh of my defeated opponent. Organs and muscles all tender and saturated with flavor...it's a good sensation and I enjoy it all the more." Yami whispered as he walked closer to him. Sozoji continued to back away until he was cornered and Yami dug his claws into his shoulders, causing him to wince and blood blossoming onto the white fabric of his outfit.

"And with every win of a game, my meals get sweeter. Now, let's just see how good you taste with your heart beating fast, blood pumping through every little vein in your body and your sweat sweetening your flesh even more." He said, licking his lips. Sozoji screamed in terror but it was his final scream for with a slash of claws, Sozoji was silenced for good, blood creating a river along the floor as Yami devoured the flesh.

Yugi looked over to Aqua who held Hanasaki in his arms and smiled softly when he saw another crystal heart, this one glowing with a forest green light, hanging around his neck. "Once Yami's done, we'll take him home and we'll head back as well. You need some rest...and I need some aspirin." he said, holding his head as a headache started forming from hearing Sozoji's voice so loud earlier. Yugi giggled softly and got up, walking over to him and placed his hands on his face, making Aqua face him.

"You'll feel better soon, Aqua. I should've kept the link closed but with Sozoji's dreaded voice, I couldn't keep a barrier up on my side." Yugi said, bringing him down a little a kissing his forehead and he smiled, purring. "If you did that, you would've worried us, little one."

"That probably would've been better that having you two hearing his loud voice through the link." Yugi said before he started to rub Aqua's snout soothingly, singing a soft song which put him at ease. Once Yami was done, he rid of Sozoji's remains and came over, smiling softly.

"Yugi, you have such a beautiful voice. You are a lot better than Sozoji." Yami murmured, sitting down upon the floor. Aqua did the same, holding the now sleeping Hanasaki in his lap, and brought the microphone over to him with his tail. When he had it in hand, he held it up to Yugi. "Sing for a little bit. We'll leave later. We shouldn't let this room go to waste." Yugi blushed before taking the microphone.

Yami urged him to sing and he smiled before doing so, his angelic voice floating through the room, putting everyone, even the workers who were fated to hear Sozoji's voice through the door, at ease and bringing a smile to Hanasaki's face.

_Something fun finally happened today and both Yami and Aqua enjoyed it immensely. I knew now that singing to them is a great feeling..._

0

Zypher: And that's all for this chapter! Bet you all enjoyed Yugi's little singing debut! To me, this chapter felt like a chapter done in Yugi's POV but I liked how it came out either way. Just for a hint, I've been playing so much of Shin Megami Tensei Digital Devil Saga, I'll probably be having Yami and Aqua speaking almost in the same tones as the characters in the game but I can't help it! This game is my god now! Demons and devouring people! All my favorite concepts rolled into one and it makes for helping me with good ideas. If you ever see this game, buy it! It's a great game!

Anyways, off that topic for now. Hoped you all enjoyed this chapter and will be waiting for the next. And Red Dragon, don't worry! The lemon chapter (yes, lemon chapter! -pumps fists into the air- Finally getting to one for this story!) will be coming soon! Keep waiting and it'll be here when you least expected!


	31. Into the Fire

Zypher: And another chapter for you all! I told you I get these chapters out fast. Anyways, I'm happy for all your lovely reviews so, as always, please enjoy this chapter.

0

Yami no Game: Death's Awakening

Chapter 31

0

A few days later, Zella, now elected school festival officer and was the Class B representative, was with all the Class B students, discussing the upcoming festival. "Ok! We need to decide what to do for the school festival!" she announced. "If anyone has a good idea, raise your hand!" Students started raising their hands, wanting to say their suggestions. _'My first high school festival. It was a bummer one didn't happen last year but I'm glad we can do one this year! I want to invite Yami and Aqua to come with me!'_ Yugi thought happily.

"I think a Haunted House!" One student called.

"No good! Class C had already put in for that!" Another told the first.

"How about making yaki soba (fried noodles)?" A student said with less enthusiasm.

"Listen to my idea, guys!" Jou said, standing up. "The school festival is about entertainment right? So we have to show some guts to steal the audience from the other classes! I vote for-" He was hit in the face with a board eraser before he could make his suggestion. "Sit down, Jou! We don't need to hear it!" Honda spoke. Zella laughed softly to herself before looking to the rest of the class. "Alright, any other ideas?" she questioned.

"Costume Contest!"

"Student Pro Wrestling!"

"Not all at once, please..." she said, rubbing her ears from the ringing before looking to Hanasaki. "What about you, Hanasaki?" she asked. He looked up. "Oh...! Uh...um...gag manga...?" he spoke and there was silence. He looked down dejectedly. _'I shouldn't have said anything...'_ he thought. "It's ok, Hanasaki. Don't put yourself down." She told him and he looked back up before smiling. She smiled back before she took some chalk and started to write the previous suggestions down on the board. "Is this everything...?" she called.

Jou pouted from his seat. "Can't we think of anything exciting?"

"Is there anyone else that hasn't given an option?" she called before looking to Yugi. "Yugi...what about you?"

He looked up when he heard his name called. "Oh...well...I guess I'd have to say games...carnival games! Y'know, like at an amusement park..." he suggested. The class was silent before they started to brighten up in the idea until they all agreed, making him smile. "Then we're set! Carnival games it is!" Zella confirmed and they nodded. "Next is what kind of games we're going to do."

"We have to have Target Practice!"

"Bottle Toss!"

"Basketball Free Throw!"

Yugi smiled that his idea was accepted. _'Everyone's really getting excited. I can't wait til the festival comes.'_ he thought.

_In the end, we decided on three games. Bluebeard's Attack, Bottle Toss and a Shooting Gallery. And best of all, Zella pulled the most popular spot out of the placement lottery! There are only three days left before the festival...the preparations are in the final stretch!_

0

Soon, the whole courtyard of the school was done up with games, brightly colored signs, decorations and even more color. Yugi was helping his class with their carnival games booth. Zella was even more grateful because he asked Yami and Aqua to help which they gladly came to do so. "What do you think? The sign's pretty good!" One of the students said as he looked to the Carnival Games sign.

"Yup, it's good!"

"We went over our budget, though!"

Yugi sat in the back, working on the Bluebeard mask. He smiled as he finished up the last few details. "There! The Bluebeard mask is finished!" Yami walked in and leaned down to kiss his cheek. "Good work, koi. You have a great talent for art." he praised. Yugi smiled even more before looking to Jou who was finishing up the last touches to the barrel.

"That's great, Jou!" Yugi complimented. "You're really good at building stuff!"

"Everyone has at least one skill, Yugi...remember. If it wasn't for his skill at opening locks, we would have never made it out of that mansion." Yami said and he nodded. Jou laughed. "I've been making plastic models and garage kits for a long time! I have a hand for making anything!" Jou said. "Have a look!" He opened the lid on top and hopped inside before closing it back on top of him. "What do you think? It's perfect!"

"That's so cool!" Zella said as she walked in to see their progress. He rubbed his hands together deviously. "I wonder who will be the pirate...I'll get a good laugh at 'em!"

"Why not you? The size is perfect for you..." Yami suggested. Jou has a dumbfounded look on his face. "Oh no! You're not going to make me into this game's guinea pig!" he said. "Oh...come on, Jou! I made the mask to fit your head." Yugi said, giving him the puppy dog look. One gaze into his eyes and he groaned. "Oh fine! I'll do it!" Jou grumbled. "Your eyes are everyone's weakness. You can make anyone do what you want just by looking at them."

A stomp of a foot was heard outside and they turned to the burly person standing there, a few more students standing behind him holding a large, thick black piece of metal. Yugi realized his was Goro Inogashira, the School Festival Officer of the senior Class D. "What's this? Carnival games..." he spoke. "How strange...there seems to be someone in our space! What are you guys doing?!"

"We're getting ready for the school festival!" Zella said as she stepped up towards him. "Don't be ridiculous! This school festival space is the stomping ground of Senior Class D!" Inogashira growled.

Yami snarled, ready to step forward but Yugi held him back. /Don't try anything right now, Yami. There's too many people around./ he said and Yami gave a rumbling snarl before standing back. "What do you mean "stomping ground?" We won this space in the lottery!" Zella told Inogashira.

"In the lottery...?" Inogashira bellowed in laughter along with the senior students behind him. He stopped laughing and glared at them. "Listen up, _underclassmen_! This is where we traditionally make okonomiyaki (cabbage pancakes or Japanese pizza) each year! Get rid of these games and beat it!"

"Who are you? You're the ones who're gonna beat it!" Jou yelled from his spot. "There's always some moron who starts a fight at these things! And I wouldn't miss it for the world!" he said as he started to climb out of the barrel but soon got stuck. "That's some talk from where you're standing!" Inogashira growled as Jou tried to get out of the barrel. "Just die!" he shouted, punching Jou and knocking him out of the barrel and into unconsciousness.

"Jou!" Yugi called. Yami growled, claws forming but Yugi took hold of his hands and shook his head. /Please, Yami. I don't want to risk you being seen as a demon and worse, have people asking me so many questions once they see you with me./

But it didn't get any better. "Go, Grill Brigade! Break down the carnival games booth! Give 'em the Battering Ram!"

"Yeah!" They cheered and soon the students charged forward with the grill.

"And a-one!" Was heard as the first slam of the grill hitting the wall was heard. Aqua landed beside Yugi, after helping the students hang the School Festival sign, growling. "Yugi, let us deal with them." he hissed. "I can't. I don't want you two to turn into demons and rouse a lot of attention." Yugi whispered.

"And a-two!" They said as they smashed the grill into the wall again and soon, cracking and snapping of the wood making up their booth was heard. Inogashira only laughed as he watched. "Take that! Feel the power of our six-inch thick, 50 serving grill! This spot is ours!" he said.

Yugi knew he couldn't let Yami and Aqua do anything but he also couldn't let them ruin their carnival games and dashing away from Yami and Aqua, gaining a shocked cry from them, and stood in front of the charging seniors. "Stop it! We worked hard to build these games!" he said but they didn't care as they charged forward again.

"And a-three!" They weren't quick enough and the two demons watched in shock and anger as Yugi was hit harshly by them and fell to the ground. "Yugi!" Yami called as he and Aqua ran over and then looked back up when they heard the Class C students' cries of fury as the grill busted through the wall of their booth. Inogashira chuckled. "Alright! Leave the grill right here...in _our_ space!" he said and cinder blocks were placed down before the grill was left there.

They all turned away from the ruined booth and walked off. "That's all for today! We'll be looking forward to the school festival in three days!" Inogashira said with a laugh.

"That's awful..."

"There's nothing we can do..."

_In the end...our space was dominated by a huge grill._

0

Yugi soon woke up and found himself in the nurse's office. Yami was sitting in a chair beside his bed, holding his hand while Aqua and Zella were standing by his bedside. "You're finally awake." Yami whispered, bringing his hand up to kiss the top lightly. "What...what happened to the carnival games?" he asked.

"Those idiots destroyed them." Yami hissed.

"Yeah...we'll have to try next year..." Zella said.

"What?! That's not good at all! We have to get that space back!" Yugi cried as he sat up, Yami still rubbing his hand gently.

"That's right...we should get it back...It belongs to us..." she whispered and turned away, a tear coming from her eye. "Zella..." Yugi said softly, hating to see her cry. /This is her first time being the school festival officer and Inogashira ruins it. We can't let him get away with this./ Yugi said to them. /I think another meal is in order for you two./ he said and they grinned before nodding. Aqua grabbed his shoes and placed them onto Yugi's feet before opening the window and flew out. Yami followed behind him, holding Yugi snugly in his arms.

Zella laughed softly before turning back. "Yugi, I'm sor-" she started but was surprised to see him, as well as Yami and Aqua, gone. _'Yugi?'_

0

After finding out the house phone number of Inogashira, Yugi made the call and Inogashira was waiting at the festival grounds for them. Yugi stood there, looking to him. "You've got some guts calling me this late. So...what did you want to say about the festival?"

"Give us our spot back and you won't get hurt tonight." Yugi whispered and he laughed. "Oh really? And how would a puny thing like _you_ hurt me?" he said, still laughing. "I'm bigger and stronger than you!"

"He won't but we will." A voice hissed and he stopped laughing to glare at Yugi but looked up more to see cold, cerise and crimson eyes glaring down at him from the shadows behind Yugi. "Yeah, they aren't happy when your tread on grounds you shouldn't have and you treaded on the grounds of me and my classmates' souls.

"You hurt me and my class and these demons here don't take kindly to people hurting me or someone close to me. You'll have to play a game if you want to escape with your life." Yugi said. "Oh yeah? Fine then. I don't believe in demons and you must've gone nuts to have them challenge me." he said, laughing again and a snarl came from the shadow bearing crimson eyes.

"You are a fool but since you have accepted, you can get away now." Aqua hissed as he came from the shadows and stood beside Yugi, eyes glowing a menacing crimson. Inogashira only chuckled. "It's beneath me to play games with imaginative demons but I've never backed down from a challenge...and I've always won! So...what kind of game are you talking about?" he questioned and they led him to where the grill was set up, bricks now lining the edges with two openings at the short ends of the grill. "We'll play a game with this! The grill that you brought and ruined all the hard work for our booth!" he said, startling Inogashira for a second.

"We've already heated it up! The surface over 100 degrees Celsius! Next: this block of ice. The test tube in the center is filled with explosives. If it touches the grill, one or both of us will be blown sky high. Then you can find out what okonomiyaki feels like..." Aqua continued with a chuckle before holding up two griddle spatulas. "And we'll use these instead of rackets. Prepare yourself for what I'd like to call "Griddle Ice Hockey!" he said before tossing a paddle to him and Inogashira caught it before grinning.

Aqua placed the block of ice on the grill and it started hissing as the ice met the extremely hot surface and already starting to melt. "The loser of the game gives up the right to this space at the school festival. And if Aqua wins, your life is ours. Any problems with that, Inogashira?" Yami spoke. "No, no problem at all! I'll meet your dragon's little challenge!" Aqua nodded as he wrapped his tail around the handle of the spatula and smirked. "Game Start!" he hissed, swinging his tail and hitting the ice block across the grill.

Inogashira smirked and once the ice block was close, hit it back with an unnatural force. "Put a spatula in my hand and no one can match me!" Aqua snarled and swung his tail again, wincing as he felt the shock from hitting the ice block at the speed Inogashira sent it reverberating up his tail. Yugi saw his discomfort and looked to Yami. "Do you think Aqua can win this using his tail to move that ice block?" he asked.

"I'm sure he can. The strongest part of a demon as far as it comes to us is the tail since most of it is made up of muscle and that alone, when swung hard enough, can break a person's spine and when it comes to Aqua's ferocious hunting skills, that strength combine with his hardened tail spines can really damage a person, and kill them by impaling them." Yami explained. Yugi nodded and continued to watch the game. Inogashira saw that the ice was melted but knew with his speed and power, once the ice reaches it last few bits, it would be in the enemy territory and the explosives will kill Aqua.

They continued to hit the ice back and forth, Aqua wincing more. _'Even with the ice as small as it is, it comes at me with the weight of a boulder! I'm impressed with his speed and power but even so, he can't match up with a demon.'_ Aqua thought as he sent the ice puck back down the grill.

Inogashira laughed as he saw that Aqua was using a lot of strength to send it back. "Lookit that! It takes all you got just to send it back! My strength gives me the edge in this game even if you are a demon! This is a piece of cake!" he jeered as he slapped the ice puck back.

Aqua readied himself for the return hit but almost fell over as he sent it back and growled._'That recoil is becoming a hindrance. Every time I hit it, even with my tail, it sends me flying! This may be a tough one to win.'_Inogashira bellowed again. "Let's give it even more power!" he roared, sending the puck back with more force and Aqua saw the ticket to winning this. _'He may have power but that will be his downfall.'_he thought as he used the edge of the spatula and slapped the puck back, hoping he got the precision of his hit right.

He laughed once more. "I'm so tough that I can make a demon push back a tiny piece of ice! It doesn't matter though! I've saved the best for last! Power return!" he said, hitting the ice but gaped when he saw the ice crack in half, releasing the vial of explosives. _'No way! He nicked it...putting a crack in the ice!'_ he thought as he watched the vial drop as if in slow motion.

_'I'm going to lose...i-impossible...!'_ Was his last thought as the vial hit the grill, causing a giant explosion that sent him flying but a wall of shadows broke his line of flight and the singed body fell to the ground. Yami let go of Yugi and walked over to him, Aqua stepping up as well.

"You thought you can win with power but that power is what killed you." Aqua whispered. Yami let out a snarl and ripped onto the flesh, ripping away the burned school uniform as he gorged on the singed flesh. Aqua joined him, gulping down flesh and blood by the mouthfuls until nothing remained.

Yami swallowed his last mouthful and licked the blood from his fangs and lips. "Cooked flesh actually tastes better, especially after a little exercise." Yami said with a smirk. "Of course, I prefer a hearty meal of raw flesh over that. That always retain the sweetness I crave." Yugi walked over and wrapped his arms around Yami's neck, placing a soft kiss upon the lightly bloodstained cheek. "Do you think you can fix the booth?"

"But of course. We can't let all that work you and your classmates placed into it go to waste." Yami said and with a wave of his hand, the shadows repaired the demolished walls, added the decorations the class was planning to add before the matter with Inogashira and the grill, along with the corpse of Inogashira, was gone. Yugi smiled and kissed his cheek again.

"Thank you, Yami." Yami smiled and nuzzled him. "Yugi, you know Aqua and I will do anything for you to make you happy. You make us happy and we will do the same for you." Yugi nodded, still smiling. He leaned up and kissed Yami softly, Yami wrapping his arms around him and bringing him flush to his form, his tail curling around one of Yugi's legs as he deepened the kiss. Yugi mewled softly through the kiss, closing his eyes as he tasted the blood and Yami's natural flavor on his tongue and he felt himself fall into a deeper euphoria of rising delight.

The kiss would've lasted longer if they didn't hear Aqua chuckle quietly to himself. "Come on, you two. No need to hit anymore bases, especially here." Aqua murmured and Yami pulled back from the kiss, glaring at him playfully. "Shut it, Aqua." he said before unfurling his wings and scooped Yugi into his arms before flying off with Aqua trailing behind. Yugi looked up to Yami and saw the content look in his eyes and then remembering the promise he made.

_'Soon...soon I will give you both something very important to me as my gift to you. I can see you both want my gift of innocence but you want to wait for when I'm ready. I'll be ready soon...ready only for you two.'_ he thought before snuggling closer to Yami as he and Aqua flew back to the game shop.

0

On the day of the school festival, everyone was surprised to see the booth back up and decorated with everything they were planning to add before Inogashira ruined it. I mentioned to them that Yami and Aqua helped get the space back for them and they thanked them for helping them out. Of course, they were even more surprised to hear that there was no sign of Inogashira from the Class D seniors but we didn't care, only enjoyed the festival.

The booth was crowded with people, everyone taking a liking to the carnival games. A kid, playing the Bluebeard's Attack game, was pushing a sword into the barrel, hitting the switch and making Jou fly out of the barrel. "Poor Jou..." A student said. "He looks like he's having fun to me." Zella said, laughing softly as Jou landed, right into Aqua's arms and they both laughed as Jou removed the mask and Aqua placed him down.

"We got to stop meeting like this." Aqua joked, causing Jou to laugh and hit his shoulder playfully before heading back to the barrel for the next person. Yami came up behind Yugi, holding a stick wrapped in candy floss and they both shared it, watching as once again, this time a student, hitting the switch and making Jou fly. And again, landing in Aqua's arms but, of course, Aqua was suckered into catching Jou anyway since he couldn't land gracefully and no one was willing to grab him when he falls.

_But all in all, our carnival booth was a big hit!_

0

Zypher: And there we have it! Another chapter done and a little extra fluff, and a hint, to boot! More chapters to go and then we'll be on Monster World. The final stretch is ahead and the next kiriban will be at 155 reviews! Keep 'em coming everyone and thank Yami and Yugi's Genie for catching the last one. I'll see you later with the next fun filled chapter!


	32. Let's Find 'Love'

Zypher: More chapter equals more love! Glad you all are enjoying these past chapters and I wish you all happy readings with this one! Enjoy!

Note to dragonlady222: No, Aqua isn't going to be with Jou. He just said that as a joke since he's the one catching him.

0

Yami no Game: Death's Awakening

Chapter 32

0

Yugi sat in his room two nights later after the festival, thinking to himself. Yami and Aqua were peacefully asleep now and he was starting to feel tired himself._ 'I think I'm ready...but I don't want to think...I want to know...know that I'm ready to take our love to the next level.'_ he sighed lightly and looked back to Yami and Aqua.

_'They would never want to hurt me in such a loving and passionate moment so I need to be ready for that. I know I will be scared but I don't want to be too scared that they will stop and wait another time. Chances are...there won't be another time...'_

Yugi sighed and gave up with this thought and turned off the light, letting the soft moonlight engulf the room before he went to the bed, slipping in beside Yami. He purred softly in his sleep and wrapped a wing around him, bringing him closer. He whispered his name softly before falling into a deeper sleep. Yugi gently stroked Yami's face, smiling softly before he went to sleep as well.

0

The next morning, Yugi was up before Yami and Aqua and giving a quiet greeting to Tu Long, Jin Long, Huo Long, Shui Long and Gem, the kitten he took in after Hayama's little ploy to try and make Yami and Aqua into his pets. "Hey, I have an idea of something that I can do before heading to school today." he said as he got up from the bed.

/What would that be, little master?/ Jin Long asked as he watched him. "I always play a game that would heighten my sixth sense for gaming." He said, digging through his dresser to pull out bunches of identical socks and split them into two before taking two random socks and placing tiny hearts at the heel of the socks. He looked back to them. "Mind mixing them up for me?" he asked and they nodded and they walked forward and started turning the socks over and shuffling them on the floor while Yugi wasn't watching.

Once they were done, they backed away and Yugi started to look at them, trying to pick out the two socks that had the symbols on them. /So, how do you play this game?/ Tu Long asked. "As you can see, I used a bunch of identical socks and placed two symbols on a random pair. What you'd have to do is try and use your sixth sense to pick out the two with the symbols on them. It's a great way to train your sixth sense for gaming." Yugi said before shushing them and started to concentrate.

Keara walked into the room and looked to him. "Yugi, your grandfather wants you to come down for breakfast." she said. "Can you tell him I'll come down in a bit? I'm doing something." he murmured. "And what exactly are you up to?" she questioned. "I'm training my sixth sense for gaming. I always do this if I have the time before I get caught up in some random game with someone." Yugi explained and she nodded. "Well, when you get done, come on down before breakfast get cold." she said. "Wait, I think I'm done." he said before flipping over two random socks, both of them having the little heart symbol on them.

"Very impressive. One of these days that sixth sense will come in handy when you really need it." she said before remembering something. "Oh yeah, I wanted to grant you a little gift." Yugi looked up to her as he started to collect the socks, keeping two out so he could wear for school. "What gift is that?" he asked.

"Just a little spell that will grant you unimaginable power. I would make it a week of your choosing but I bet you wouldn't want it to interfere with your schoolwork so I'll make it for just a day of your choosing. On that particular day, or week if you want it to be, you, Yami and Aqua will be known as pharaohs or lords of Domino city. With that I'll will turn the game shop into a luxurious palace. On the inside, it will be covered from top to bottom with black and white ceramic limestone, to show the bond you three share, and rugs will cover certain part of the floor, made with the softest of materials.

"You will also gain pets. Yami and Aqua will each have a white Siberian Tiger while you will have a graceful antelope. Your room will be changed into a wondrous chamber with a crystal inlain wrought iron bed with red and gold silk drapes and sheets and silky downy feather pillows for the best comfort. Beside your bed will be an unending fountain of oil for you or your koibitos' uses. There is more to my gift but I rather not say it out loud so here." she explained, holding out a scroll and he took it. "That will tell you the other things granted to you with this gift and those are one that will last even after the day or week is over." she said and he nodded.

"Thank you, Keara. I think it's a little much for someone like me but I think I would like this alot. And I think Yami and Aqua would like it as well. May remind them a little of their past." Yugi said and she smiled. "Now, why don't I leave you to get ready so you can come down and eat, it's almost time for you to head to school." Keara said before leaving the room. /She did give you a wonderful gift./ Tu Long spoke.

"Yeah but I wonder what else was given with her gift." he said, looking down to the scroll before unrolling it and started to read a bit of it, a small blush dusting his cheeks before he rolled it back up. He decided to read the rest of it when he got to school, most likely to finish it at break, and started to get ready.

Keara soon came back in, holding a small elegant bottle. "Oh yeah, one more thing. I want to give you this." she said and Yugi looked up to her and finished putting on his sock before walking over to her. "What is it?" he asked, taking the bottle. "It's a sample of my extremely potent love potion. If you give this to Yami and Aqua, they won't fall for the first person they see like those cheesy fake love potions but instead enhance the love they have for you to heavenly proportions. I'm sure this may come in handy when the time is right." she said before leaving once more.

Yugi looked down to the bottle of the shining red liquid before seeing the label there. Huo Long came over to his side and looked down to it. /What does it say?/ he asked. "It has a poem on it. It says:

_Place one drop into your lovers' tea  
and their unbound passion for you will be set free_

_They will fall in desire and unbridled bliss  
For this would be a night you don't want to miss._

Wow, that's very convincing." Yugi whispered with another blush gracing his cheeks. Huo Long laughed heartily before looking to him. /Well, you better put it up now, you should be getting to school./ he said and Yugi nodded as he hid the bottle so Yami or Aqua wouldn't find it and then waved goodbye to the four dragons, Gem and his two sleeping lovers before leaving out his room, coming back to grab the scroll and placing it in his pocket.

He headed downstairs to eat breakfast before leaving out. Yugi started walking toward school and heard someone call his name before he reached the school gates. He looked up to see Zella coming his way and he smiled, waving to her and she waved back before stopping in front of him.

"Ohayou, Yugi!" she said.

"Ohayou, Zella. Wasn't expecting to catch you on the way to school." Yugi said as they started walking together to school. "I wasn't planning to see you on the way either." she said before letting out a sigh. "Today's going to be such a drag..." Yugi looked to her. "And why's that?" he asked. "Remember that achievement test we took a while back?" He nodded. "The results are said to be back today. They're going to sit there and plaster our names on the wall for everyone to see who got what." Zella said.

"That's right! I forgotten all about that! I'm so happy!" he said. "Why are you so happy for that?"

"Because Jou and Honda promised to play a game with me on the days the results were announced! We're going to get hamburgers on it!"

She chuckled softly. "You and hamburgers. I have a feeling you will be the one to win alot of them too." Zella said and he laughed. She laughed with him before remembering something. She dug through her pocket and looked to Yugi. "Hey Yugi, I have something I want to give you." she said and he turned to her. She held out the little heart keychain. "Have you seen these? They're all the rage with the girls!" she explained.

"Really? I've never seen them before!" He took the little keychain from her hand and looked it over. "Is it a new keychain game?"

"Not really...it more of a love tester! It called "Lovely Two"! You type in your name, birthday and blood type! I don't how the program works but it creates a waveform from your personal data. Then you go around and press the button. If you press it when you're next to another person with a "Lovely Two", and they're got the same waveform as you, then both "Lovely Twos" make a noise like a little bell ringing!" she explained. "When that happens, you're supposed to be perfect for each other!"

"That sounds nice!"

"And better yet, I'll let you have that one! I have one for Yami and Aqua too so if they come by the school, I can give one to them." Zella spoke as they continued to walk to school. "I'm sure they'll come soon. I did leave without giving them a morning kiss so they'll be by and probably spend the day with us." Zella laughed even more as they soon reached the school. Yugi, along the way, typed in the info into his keychain. As they were heading into the school, crimson eyes appeared in the shadows and with a smirk, followed them.

"I hoped I scored well on that test."

"I'm sure you did, Zella. Ever since you came here, you've been doing wel-" He abruptly stopped and Zella turned to see him gone. "Hey, Yugi, where did you go?" she called. "He's right here." A voice spoke and she turned to see Aqua sitting upon a set of lockers, grinning as he motioned to Yugi who was in a deep liplock with Yami.

She giggled and looked back to Aqua. "You better break it up between them or else Yugi will miss the game he promised to Jou and Honda." she said and Yugi broke the kiss when he heard that. "You're right! Thanks for reminding me, Zella!" he said and Yami pouted lightly before jumping down, holding onto Yugi and placed him on the floor so they could switch their shoes. Yami still pouted but Yugi placed a kiss on his cheek along with Aqua before heading inside and towards the crowd of kids that were gathered to look at the test scores.

"Oh yeah. I have something for you two." Zella said and pulled out two more "Lovely Two" keychains and handed them to Yami and Aqua, explaining about what they are and what they did. They thanked her for them before they looked up to the board. Some students groaned at the scores they've gotten while others were happy.

"Outta the way!" Jou said as he pushed through the crowd and came over to them. Honda soon appeared and they looked to each other. "Yugi! Honda! This is the war to settle the score!" he said. "You got it!" Yugi said happily as he pulled out a card from his pants pocket. "Alright! Let's start playing the Achievement Test Bingo!" he said and they started to scratch in boxes.

"Yeah! I got three lines!" Yugi said happily.

"I got one..." Honda spoke up.

Jou groaned. "Not even one line!"

Once they were done with the game, they compared the scores. "Just like we promised, Jou has to buy three hamburgers for me and two for you, Honda." Yugi said. "No prob! I'll take it like a man!" Jou said. "You never lose at anything, do you?" Honda spoke, looking to Yugi.

"Are you three having fun?" A voice spoke and they turned. "Now, what could be so fun about achievement test scores?" he spoke again. "Geh! It's Tsuruoka, the guidance counselor!" Jou groaned. "This isn't good!" Yugi said, scooting closer to Yami. "What's so bad about him?" he asked.

"He's a very mean teacher, finding games to be a hindrance to us along with other things that would give us bad scores on our schoolwork and tests." Yugi explained. "So, you think that test was a game? Maybe that explains the scores you three got!" Tsuruoka spoke before looking at the board.

"Honda! Number 380! Jounouchi! Number 392! Yugi! Number 372!" he announced and that caused everyone but them, Yami, Zella and Aqua, to laugh at them. "Well? Maybe next time you'l laugh after you study!" he said and Yugi growled. _'I hate him so much.'_ he thought. Tsuruoka then spotted the keychain and the scroll he placed into his pants pocket and reached for them. "And what would these happen to be?" he said, pulling them out. "Hey! Wait-!" he started. _'The scroll and the love tester! I have to get them back!'_

"You can't bring games to school and this scroll looks suspicious!" he said. "Please, give it back! That keychain's not a game and that scroll has something important written on it!" Yugi cried.

"Give that stuff back to Yugi!" Jou shouted.

"Yeah! You don't have the right to take people's stuff just because you're a teacher!" Honda countered.

"Unskilled slackers have no right to talk back to a teacher! Education is a noble profession! We teachers have the right to do anything to slackers like _you_!" he said, dropping the keychain onto the floor. "If I wanted to...I could smash this thing!" He was about to stomp on it if Yami didn't speak up. "They have skills and so do Aqua and I! Skills that you could never match up to!" Yami hissed, fangs showing but no one said anything about it.

"Aqua and I have never lost a game! Never!"

"You never what...!" Tsuruoka babbled before smirking. "Is that so...then why don't we play a game?" he said as he reached down for the keychain. "The rules are simple! I'll hide this game and scroll somewhere in this school! If you can find it within one hour, you win. You get the keychain and scroll back!" he explained.

"We'll take on your challenge!" Aqua hissed. "And we're right behind you!" Jou said, Zella, Honda and Yugi nodding. "You're gonna regret challenging them!" Yugi said. He only laughed. "Fine then! But on the other hand, if you don't find it...the four of you will be expelled! And I'll stomp your little game and rip up this scroll!" he said.

"No problem!" Zella said.

"Alright then! The game starts in 30 minutes! I'm going to hide this keychain and scroll! Until then, you wait right here!" he said, walking off. _'Oh I need to get that scroll back. If he reads it, I'll probably be expelled for sure!'_ Yugi thought.

30 minutes later, the game started and they all split up to look for the keychain and scroll. They narrowed the search area but came up with nothing. Yami looked through the lockers but didn't spot anything anywhere in there. Soon, Jou and Honda came in with a wheelbarrow and shovels. "Hey, Yami! We found some shovels and a wheelbarrow! Borrowed them from the construction site next door!"

"Leave that hard digging work to us!" Honda said.

"Thanks. But it looks like Tsuruoka didn't went outside. Yugi's game and the scroll is inside the building."

"How do you know?"

"Aqua told me that he checked his outdoor shoes in the teacher's entrance. There's no sign that he left out the school." Yami explained. They nodded and went to return the things they borrowed before heading with Yami to look around the school more. From another window, Tsuruoka watched them and chuckled to himself. "They're still searching their hearts out. But they'll never find them! The pocket game and the scroll is in my secret place! You're as good as expelled! The next time I'll see you, you'll be bagging my groceries!" he said to himself, laughing still.

0

They checked through desks and in classrooms but still no sign of the game or scroll. And there was about 21 minutes left before the game ended. _'That stuff is important to Yugi and we have to get it back! I won't let him and his friends get expelled!'_ Yami thought.

Yugi watched them and knew they were determined to find those things for him. _'I'm happy they are doing so much to help. There has to be someway how they can find...wait! I have an idea!'_ Yugi looked over to Yami and stopped him. "Yami, I think I know of a way how you can find my keychain and scroll." Yugi said.

He turned to him. "And what would that be?" he questioned. "The keychain Zella gave to you and Aqua. I'm absolutely sure we're made for one another and we can find mine if we can hear the sound of a small bell ringing." Yugi suggested. "You're right. That what she explained to me and Aqua. And better yet, if I'm right, people tend to hide things in a place where they can see the hiding spot. So Tsuruoka must have the love tester near him!" Yami said. Leading them, Yugi headed towards Tsuruoka's office and opened the door, shocking the teacher.

"You can't come in here! this is the teachers' lounge and students aren't allowed! Go do your little treasure hunt outside!"

Yami smirked. "You just confirmed my suspicions. The pocket game and the scroll is here." he said. "No! Y-You're wrong! The pocket game and that scroll is hidden somewhere you can't reach! It's nowhere in here!"

Yami's smirked widened. "Somewhere we can't reach...in other words, somewhere we can't touch. In even more words, the safest place is somewhere on you!" he hissed. Tsuruoka growled in irritation. "Get this straight! I'm a teacher, like a _god_ to you whether you're guests or not! You wouldn't _dare_ touch me with your filthy hands...I'd expel your friends in a heartbeat!" he spoke, glaring at Yami. "Besides, you can't prove I have it by touching me!"

Aqua only chuckled and held up the love tester game and Tsuruoka gasped. He typed in his data, or at least as much as he could remember and pressed the button. It was silent for a while before the tinkling of a small bell was heard. "Hey, where's that sound coming from?" Jou asked as he, Honda and Zella looked around.

Aqua's ears flicked lightly before looking to Tsuruoka. "It's coming from his head...?" Aqua said, confused. Honda and Jou weren't told twice and both jumped him, gaining a yelp from him as he fell to the ground. "With that much proof, you can't say we can't touch you!" Jou growled and Tsuruoka gaped as his hair fell from his head.

"Huh...!" Jou picked up the wig and looked inside.

"Whoa! He hid the scroll and pocket game inside his wig!" Jou exclaimed, pulling the two items from the wig.

"Please, don't tell anyone my secret!" Tsuruoka begged. Jou grinned before turning to Yami. "Looks like we win, Yami!" he said, handing the scroll and keychain back to Yugi. Honda looked at his watch. "And with five seconds to spare!"

They left out the room and Yugi wrapped his arms around Yami's waist. "Thank you, Yami." Yami smiled and wrapped his arms back around him. "You know Aqua and I will do anything for you. You have given us so much in life and we have to repay that back."

Yugi smiled and hugged him more. _'I couldn't ask for more. But just wait a little longer...I'll be ready...ready for you two.'_ he thought before Yami and Aqua decided to leave and they headed for class, giving a quick explanation that they were at the guidance office than to mention they wasted an hour trying to find very important items for Yugi because of the guidance counselor.

While the teacher was in depth with the lesson, Yugi took the scroll from his pocket and started to read the rest of it, blushing darkly and rolling it up once he was done. _'Did Keara know what I wanted to do? If she did, I think she has it out to make sure all three of us has a good night.'_ he thought, hiding his face in his arms until his blush wore off.

0

Zypher: We're done here! Getting ever so close to the lemon chapter! Hoped you like the chapter and will be waiting for more! See you soon!


	33. Get the Million

Zypher: Just to tease you all, here is the last chapter before the lemon! Now all I need to do is get my lemon factory up and running. -cries- It shut down on me and if I don't get it back up and running, you'll probably be getting a lime next chapter, but a good lime! Anyways, glad you like the last chapter and I present to you with the next chapter on a silver platter! Would've had a gold one if my doggy muse didn't run off with it and sold it just to get a present for his master.

Jou: -pouts-

Zypher: -gives him a raspberry- It's your fault.

0

Yami no Game: Death's Awakening

Chapter 33

0

Yugi and his friends were at the game shop, sitting up in his room and waiting for Jou. "Wonder what's taking him so long?" Keara questioned. No sooner that she said that, the door burst open and a happy Jou pranced inside. "You guys won't believe what I got!" he said. "What? What did you get?" Zella asked. "I'm going to be on TV!" he told them, shocking them.

"Really Jou! You're going to be on TV!/" Yugi exclaimed.

"Yep! It's a new show called "The Get the Million Game!" If you win all the challenges they give you, the grand prize is 1,000,000 yen (about 10,000 US)!" he said.

"One million yen! That's great, Jou!" Zella spoke, smiling brightly.

Jou nodded just as enthusiastically. "After this, I won't have to work at part time jobs anymore!"

Honda sweatdropped. "Jou, you haven't won the money yet. Don't go making choices before the event happens." he said. "He's right, don't want to quit your jobs and then something happens on the show." Aqua added. Jou pouted but knew they were right. "I've gotta win! I know that much!" Jou responded. _'If I win this, I can pay off my old man's gambling debt and liquor store tab! I won't have to run from the collection agencies anymore and probably get a new place to live than my shabby apartment! It's gonna be a new life after that day!'_ he thought.

"You've been working to put yourself through school for a while, haven't you, Jou?" Yami asked and Honda nodded to his questioned. "Yeah, he worked a lot. He had help from his half-brother Kaiser before he left Japan to find another job that would give them more money." Honda explained before turning to Jou. "Remember that paper route in middle school? Everyone called you the "Lone Paperboy!"

Jou snorted. "Yeah, I remember. I hate being called that."

Yugi then got an idea. "Hey! Let's be in the audience so we can cheer Jou on!" he said and they agreed. Aqua pulled him over with his tail and nuzzled him. "You come up with the greatest ideas, koi." he said and Yugi blushed before smiling. Jou smiled widely that he would be getting support from his friends. _'One million yen...I put all my hopes on that postcard to the TV people...and they picked it! The dude who chose it must be a god for granting me this chance for big money!'_ he though.

0

But at ZTV broadcasting, they weren't thinking about Jou's hopes.

"So, what sucker are we having on the "Get the Million Game" today?" A voice asked.

"Well sir, we selected this young man from the entry forms...his card had been decorated with rainbow colors to make it stand out." another spoke as he handed a picture of Jou to the producer. "We've done a thorough background check on him. His father is an unemployed alcoholic with a gambling addiction! The boy works part time to pay back his father's debts while his half-brother is supposedly out of the country to find a high paying job to help. He's honest to goodness 100 percent poor!" The man said as the producer gazed over the photo.

"All right! He's perfect! Dead end working class guys like him will do anything to get a million yen! They go money crazy! The public loves it!" The producer said before chuckling. "Of course, no matter how hard he tries, he'll never actually win..." he said before laughing again.

0

The day of Jou's appearance on the show finally arrived and he was all too happy. Yugi and the others were sitting in the crowd, waiting for Jou to come on stage. "Hey out there to all the fans at home! It's time for the Get the Million Game!" The announcer said. The audience clapped and cheered as Jou finally walked out, looking determined. "Today's challenger is this strapping young man! 16 year old Jounouchi from Domino City!" The announcer spoke once again.

Jou grinned and waved to his friends in the stands. "Hey! Yugi! I'm on TV!" he exclaimed. "That's the spirit, Jou!" Zella said.

"Go for it! Get the million!" Honda added as they waved back to him. In another area, the manager and the worker of the program were watching. "Camera 2, move in closer!" The worker spoke as the cameraman on camera 2 got a close up on Jou. "Ok! Now add the caption to his close up!" he spoke once more, getting a confirmation from another.

The producer smirked. "Ok! Now the audience knows how pathetic this kid is! Nothing like a good sob story to boost the ratings!" he said.

"And now! For our first game - Darts of Fortune!" The announcer spoke as Jou looked to the giant roulette board that had a giant portion marked with 100,000 and a small portion marked Lose. "If you win, you get 100,000 yen (about 1,000 US) and you can go on to the next stage! The rules are simple! When we spin the wheel, just throw the dart into the 100,000 yen zone! Can you do it Jounouchi?" Jou nodded as he took the dart from a helper in the stage. "You can do it, Jou!" Yugi said as another helper spun the wheel.

"Leave it to me! This is a cinch!" Jou said as he threw the dart. It hit the board and it soon stopped, showing the dart just a short ways from hitting the Lose mark. "You win! You get 100,000 yen!" The announcer said and Jou let out a breath. "That was close..." A medal was put around his neck, 100 marked on it and he grinned. Yugi and the others continued to cheer from their seats, glad to see Jou make it past the first game.

"Now, the stakes go higher and so does the risk! Can you get 500,000 yen (about 5,000 US)? For our second game - The Electric Helmet!" Jou was handed a helmet with a pole sticking from the top and he placed it on. "The rules are simple just like in the last game! Before time runs out, the contestant must run between these high voltage wires while wearing this helmet! But don't touch the wires! The slightest bump and the metal helmet will conduct a devastating electric shock!" he explained and Jou gulped before nodding, already being through enough dealing with electricity.

"Then let's start the game!" he said and Jou started through the course. His steps were hesitant and knowing time was wearing down, he didn't have much time and started to speed up his steps until he was close to the end. "I'm almost to the goal! No time left! Gotta run!" he said to himself as he dashed to the end and made it out without hitting the wires.

"Success! He wins! The challenger successfully clears the second game! He wins 500,000 yen!" the announcer spoke as he was given another medal with 500 written on it. _'I did it! I got 500,000 yen!'_ he thought, grinning.

"Good job, Jounouchi!"

"That's the stuff!"

"One more step and you got the million!" Honda called along with the other cheering audience members.

"We'll be back with the final round, right after this word from our sponsors!" The announcer spoke and Jou smiled._ 'Pops...if I win the million yen...I'll put all of the past behind us. We'll be a real family again! Just you wait!'_ Jou thought. "This is really tense. I hope he can make it through the last game." Yami said. Yugi nodded before standing up. "I'll be back. Need to go to the bathroom." he said and walked off. As he walked through the halls, he looked around, trying to spot the bathroom. "I wonder if I'll meet a star while I'm in the studio?" he wondered.

He finally spotted the bathroom and headed inside, coming past a worker and the producer. "How are the ratings?" The producer asked. "Looking good, sir!" He nodded. "Good. So in the next round, is the wheel rigged to lose?" he asked again, catching Yugi's attention. "Yes sir! Everything's ready!" Yugi stopped but he didn't catch their attention. _'Huh...that's not right. Why would they have the wheel rigged...unless they want Jou to lose!'_ he thought and listen in to their conversation as they continued to walk off.

"If there's one thing better than seeing a poor person struggling for money - it's watching them fail at the last minute!" The producer spoke, bellowing in laughter. "Suffering always turns a profit! What a joke! Who would give money to a poor person anyway? But who cares, as long as I get paid!" he spoke, laughing more.

Yugi was in shock at what he heard and clenched his fists. _'All along this game show was rigged! How dare he use Jou's desperate hopes to gain money? I'll never forgive him and neither will Yami and Aqua!'_ he thought before he quickly ran back to the show to tell Yami and Aqua what he heard.

0

Back at the game, the next round was starting. "Now! It time for our final round! If Jounouchi clears this game, he will go home with one million yen! Bring out the Wheel of Fate!" Two women brought out another wheel, this time only one portion had the one million yen. Three other portion of the wheel had Lose written on it while the last four had lesser prizes. "Well, Jounouchi? Either you win the million yen...or you fail and lose all the money you've won so far?" The announcer said, looking to him and Jou was more determined to win the million yen.

"I'll do it! It' s as good as mine!" he said. "You can do it, Jou!" Zella said. "Don't give up now, Jou!" Keara said before she spotted Yugi running back towards them. "Yugi? What's wrong?" she asked. "Yami, Aqua, this last game is rigged. I heard what I believed was the producer speaking to someone about making Jou lose this last game. You have to do something." he explained.

"Now! The wheel has started spinning! It will stop when Jounouchi says "Stop!" The announcer spoke and Jou looked to the wheel, hoping that he will be able to stop it on the right one. "The game's already started but it looks like Jou isn't going to call stop just yet. I'll deal with the producer." Aqua whispered before he slipped away with no one noticing and went towards the backstage.

Backstage, the producer and the worker watched Jou. "All right! When he says stop, you press the button! Got it?" The producer said. "Yes sir! I get it!" The worker spoke. "I painted the button red to be sure! There are a lot of buttons, but there's no mistake this way! When I press this button, there's 100 percent no chance that the wheel will win for that poor punk!" he continued. Aqua slipped out from the shadows and let out a low snarl, catching their attention. "W-What do you want? Only staff are allowed back here!" the producer said, pointing threateningly at him.

"Tell me...are you feeling lucky? Because if you are, then why don't we test your luck?" Aqua said and the manager was stunned silent. "What're you talking about?"

Aqua smirked and motioned to his left. "Look over there...what do you see?" he said and the manager looked to his left before looking up. "There's a paint can on the scaffolding, right? And here are two ropes...one is tied to the handle of the paint can!" Aqua said, two ropes appearing in his hands. "We each choose one rope and tie it to our arm! On the signal, we each pull our own rope! It's a game of chance! The odds are even!" he spoke. "What are you talking about? We're busy! We don't have time to play with you!" The producer spoke angrily.

Aqua's eyes narrowed, a smirk still on his face. "You don't want anyone to find out your game's _rigged_, do you, Mr. producer? About the "100 percent no chance of winning" wheel?"

The producer spluttered when he told him about that. _'How did he learn about that secret! Th-There's no choice!'_ "All right! You! Pick a rope!" he said to the worker. "Y...Yes sir!" he spoke as he stood up and looked to Aqua. "Ok...I'll take the rope on the right..."

"Then I'll take the left one!" he said as he handed the right rope to the worker and started to tie the left one to his wrist. The worker did the same and looked back to him. "You all set?" he asked and the worker nodded. "Ok then...ready...set..." Aqua gave the signal and they pulled their ropes and the one tied to the worker's wrist was tied to the paint can. The paint can fell onto his head and the producer backed away.

"You moron! You'll get paint all over my clothes." he said with a huff and then looked down. "I have to push the button myself...huh!" He then realized that paint was all over the switch box, coloring all the buttons red. "I can't tell which is the right button! If the wheel stops on the winning space...that shiftless bum will get a million yen!" The producer said.

Aqua snorted in anger and disappointment. "Now you're showing your true colors! It's time for your judgment!" Aqua hissed as he walked to him. "Normally, I would kill the person as my meal but that won't keep this charade from continuing on even with you gone! So suffer in this penalty game! Mind on Air!" He said before black, magical flames engulfed the producer.

0

"Now, at the contestant's call!" The announcer spoke. _'Please, let me win!'_ he thought. "Stop!" Jou called and soon, the wheel came to a stop, hitting the one million yen space. "He...He wins the million yen!" The announcer spoke shakily. _'No way...this never happens..'_ he thought. _'Yes! I did it! I'm a mill-yen-aire!'_ he thought. "C-Congratulations! Here is your check!" The announcer said, handing him the check. "Thanks!" Aqua slipped back out into the audience and Yugi looked to him with a smile before hugging him. "What did you do with that producer?" he asked. "I gave him a penalty game." Aqua replie.

Jou was still happily looking at his check before he turned, hearing frantic shouts from the back.

"Someone shut him up!"

"Cut the broadcast!"

A worker dashed out onto the stage and looked to the announcer. "What in the world is going on?" he asked. "L-Look at that!" he said, pointing to the producer who came running out, laughing madly. "Gimme your money!" he said before grabbing the front of the nearest camera.

"Hey all you broke, lazy couch potatoes! Get away from the TV just long enough to send me your cash! Checks! Money orders!" he said, gaining shocked cries from those in the audience. "We're done for!" A worker spoke and Yugi chuckled softly. "Apparently true poverty lives in the soul. Right, Aqua?" he questioned, looking up to him who nodded. "And now his ploy is ruined."

0

Several days later, Jou was sulking as he walked with Yugi, Yami, Keara, Zella and Honda. "What's wrong with him?" Honda asked. "That TV production company went bankrupt. Now his check is nothing but a worthless piece of paper..." Keara explained and Honda winced. "That must be hard on him." he said. "You don't know the half of it." Yugi whispered as Jou let out a frustrated cry.

"All that money! Gone!" he cried. "Don't worry, Jou. I'm sure you'll get another chance." Zella said and he only whined more.

0

Zypher: And that's all for this chapter! And now the big finale! Lemon chapter coming up next! Or at least pray for one. See you soon anyways! -bangs on lemon factory- Work darn you! -takes wrench and starts working on the factory-


	34. Day and Life of a Pharaoh

Zypher: And here we are finally! The lemon chapter! -still banging on the lemon factory- Hopefully I get this thing working before we get to that point but I'm happy you all enjoyed the last chapter so here we are with this one. Enjoy! -looks to Yugi- Yugi! Get me 50 cc's of lemon juice, stat!

Yugi: Right! -runs off to get said item-

Warning: Isn't it too obvious? Lemon ahead. Don't like then get out of here before I kick you out.

0

Yami no Game: Death's Awakening

Chapter 34

0

It was finally the weekend and Yugi still remembered the gifts Keara gave to him. _'Maybe I should start with it now so Yami and Aqua can be accommodated with being pharaohs again. They would like this gift she gave to us and hopefully I can give them the gift I want to given them tonight.'_ Yugi thought as he took the bottle that had the sample love potion in it before placing it back in its hiding spot and left his room to find Keara.

0

After telling Keara he wanted today to be the day he, Yami and Aqua would be the pharaohs, especially since his grandfather was leaving for a few days, he went to go tell Yami and Aqua about it. He spotted them in the kitchen, drinking tea. "Yami? Aqua? I have something I want to tell you."

They looked up to him before Yami beckoned him over and he walked over to him. Yami pulled him up to sit on his lap and looked down to him. "So, what do you have to tell us, koi?" he asked. "Well, a while back, Keara granted me the gift that I could choose a day or week where you, me and Aqua can become the pharaohs of Domino City." Yugi told him.

"Really? That sounds like a wonderful gift. The idea of being pharaoh again makes me think of our past but as of now, I can't remember much than probably what Aqua told you when you two first met." Yami spoke. "Well, would you two like to share this day with me just so you can relive the past, even if it's for one day?" Yami though about this before nodding. "Sure, I would love to have this day to be a pharaoh again." He then looked to Aqua. "What about you?"

"Yes, a day to relive the past sounds nice."

Yugi smiled and sat up to kiss Yami's cheek. "Thanks for joining me today." Yugi said happily. _'Cause I really want to give you my gift. I probably could've gave it to you both any day but I want it to be special and hopefully what I have planned will satisfy you.'_ Yugi thought as he slipped from Yami's lap and left them to finish their tea. He found Keara again and he told her that they agreed. She nodded as she prepared to cast the spell and in a flash of light, the shop what changed into a glorious palace with everything placed just as Keara told him the day he granted him the gift.

Yugi himself was dressed in elaborate garments of the finest silks with a beautiful violet cape trailing behind him and he wore a golden crown upon his tri-colored tresses. "There, the spell is set. If you want, I can lead you to your new throne room." Keara offered and he nodded. She led him towards the throne room and Yugi was in awe as he came into the spacious room.

"Shall I go see if Yami and Aqua would like to spend time here with you?" she asked and he nodded. "Yes, please. I want to see their reaction to this now that they are finally reliving the past a bit." Yugi said as he went to sit on one of the two thrones in the room and she nodded with a smile before she left.

_'I can't believe this. I'm actually the pharaoh of Domino City. This feels so right for some reason but I know I could never be a king, or at least a good one.'_ Yugi thought as he got up and went to one of the large windows to look outside and saw that instead of a big city, it was only rows of many small homes, people still go on about their daily lives but he knew that, at least, when one of them comes out, they would bow and pray to them. He didn't hear Yami and Aqua walking in nor of Aqua walking up behind him until he felt his warm breath caress the side of his face.

"How do you like being a pharaoh, Yugi?" he whispered and Yugi felt a shiver crawling up his spine as he turned to look at Aqua. "I didn't hear you two come in." he said. Aqua chuckled softly. "It seems you were too amazed at what was outside to notice. But I repeat, how do you like being a pharaoh?" he asked. "Well, it's feels right. I don't know why but for some reason, it feels like I was made to be a pharaoh but I know I couldn't be a good one." Yugi murmured.

"Nonsense. I think you would be a great pharaoh. You are kind and generous towards others and people would respect you gratefully for that." Aqua said as he led him to the throne, Yami already sitting down in another and Yugi took the second. Aqua stood beside Yugi and he turned to look up to him. "Do you really think I could be a good pharaoh?" Aqua nodded. "I'm sure you can."

They spent the day in the throne room, speaking with people who came in to ask for their help. As it was getting close to noon, Yami decided that it would be nice to head out into the town for a little while. Yugi agreed and soon, they were out, wearing cloaks to conceal their royal clothing. "I wonder if my friends were affected by this spell." Yugi pondered and Yami looked down to him. "I'm sure Keara didn't make them into anything lower than nobles. They're probably royalty just like us, only not that high in status." Yami said and Yugi nodded.

They continued to walk through the city, stopping in the market to look at the trinkets they sold. Everything was peaceful, or at least was.

"Thief!" Someone shouted as a figure ran down the streets, holding glittering gems and coins in his hands. Yugi looked up when he heard the shouts and saw the thief. "Aqua! Yami! There's a thief running off with gold and gems!" Yugi called and they looked up as well. "Just like in the past only this time, they can't get away easily." Yami hissed as he and Aqua left Yugi's side to confront the thief. He continued to run, unaware who was in front of him until he bumped into one of them. He fell back before glaring up at them.

"Who do you think you are!" he hissed. Yami removed the hood along with Aqua and he gulped. "Only the pharaohs of this land." Aqua snarled. Before the thief could run off again, Aqua took hold of his collar and caused him to drop his loot. The woman that had the stuff stolen ran up and bowed before them. "Oh thank you, great pharaoh. Thank you so much for capturing him." she said softly. "It was nothing. You may go back to your work. We'll deal with him." Yami said and she nodded, thanking them again before leaving with her things and Yugi ran over to them.

"What are you going to do with him?" Yugi asked as they left the market and were on their way back to the palace with the thief in tow. "We'll find something to do with him before the day's over. Maybe Keara will deal with him herself." Yami said as they entered the palace and a guard came to throw the thief into the dungeon.

They headed back into the throne room and stayed there up until dusk before they headed into the dining hall to eat dinner. Many food dishes were prepared and they ate their fill and the servants came in to collect the dishes. Yugi looked to them and knew that he best do what he needed to do before it was too late. He excused himself and quickly made it back to the room, picking up the love potion and headed back into the dining room, keeping the bottle behind him.

"Yami? Aqua? Why don't you two head back to our room and relax a bit? I'll make some tea for you." Yugi said and they smiled. "That sounds nice. We would love some jasmine tea. We'll be waiting in the room for you." Yami said as they got up and head to the room. Yugi watched as they left before he headed into the kitchen and took out a kettle, filling it with water and placed it on the stove to boil. He reached up to the cabinet and took out the box filled with the tea packet and took out two before placing the box back and going over to get two mugs.

As the water was boiling, he look down to the bottle. "This is it. I have waited for this day and I can't mess this up. If there actually some chance I lose them, I want them to have the one thing that they can cherish more than anything." Yugi whispered to himself as the kettle let out a shrill whistle and he took it off the stove, pouring the water into the mugs before taking the potion and dropped one drop of liquid into each cup, stirring it together. After the potion was mixed into the tea, he placed the two mugs onto a platter before heading towards their room.

He mentally went through everything he remembered from the scroll as he walked into the room and saw Yami and Aqua laying down on the bed, eyes closed but they opened them to look over to him. Yugi took a deep breath before walking over to them and gave them each a mug and they thanked him before drinking their tea. Yugi fiddled with his hands, looking to them before speaking. "Yami...Aqua...there's something I wish to give you tonight. Something very special to me." Yugi said.

Aqua looked to him. "And what gift could you give to us that is so special? We think that your love is a special gift to us." Yugi nodded. "I know but there's something even more special that I want to give you two." Yami finally caught on and finishing up his tea, he placed the mug down on the platter and looked to Yugi.

"You don't mean...you're going to give us the gift of your innocence?" Yami spoke and with a blush, Yugi nodded again. "Are you sure? Once you give it up, you can't gain it back. We don't want you to regret this, koi." Aqua said as he placed his own mug back on the platter.

"I'm sure. I thought of this after we got out of Death-T. If we somehow get into life-threatening danger and I lose you both, I will regret never letting you have everything I could possibly give you. Not just my love and my heart but my body and soul." Yugi said as he moved the platter off the bed and crawled over to Aqua, placing a chaste kiss on his lips. Aqua returned the kiss gently, feeling a warm, magical presence rise within him and he started to crave more of Yugi. He wrapped his arms around him, bringing him closer.

Yugi could feel the yearning and craving for him that came through Yami and Aqua's sides of the link and moaned, wrapping his arms around Aqua's neck. _'Guess the potion worked faster than I expected. But this is now or never. Hopefully I will be able to please them to the highest extent.'_ Yugi thought before he succumbed, eyes closing as he let pleasure and passion take over.

_**-Alright! We have a working lemon factory now! Woot! Now, here's the lemon you all were waiting for! It you don't like lemons, then why are you here.-**_

Aqua purred as he continued to kiss Yugi before running a tongue along his lips, begging for entrance which Yugi gave to him. His tongue explored the depths of the hikari's sweet mouth, giving a low moan as the taste sent his senses overboard. Yami crawled over to them and reached over to Yugi, caressing his chest and stomach lightly with the tips of his elongated claws, causing Yugi to moan within Aqua's mouth and his grip tightening on the spines along his neck. When air became an issue, Aqua parted from him and looked down to him with lust, love, desire and want.

He looked back up to him with the same emotions shining brightly in his eyes. Aqua moved away but only to remove the white tunic that covered Yugi's pale chest and once it was gone, Aqua throwing it to the floor, Yami took over and with warm lips, start to plant butterfly kisses along the heated skin of the smaller hikari. Yugi moaned, eyes clenched in bliss and pleasure, upper body arching up slightly. Yami murred softly as he continued to kiss Yugi's chest before he started to nip lightly, causing Yugi to moan even more.

Lust and passion ran through the link wildly and with the extra gifts Keara granted to him, as well as Yami and Aqua, it was doubled and Yugi cried out in overwhelming pleasure. Yami soon stopped with his ministrations and looked back down to Yugi with glazed cerise eyes before leaning down to place a short yet deep kiss upon his lips.

He parted from him and gazed down at him. "I can't wait any longer. I need you but I don't want to hurt you." Yami whispered. Yugi raised one of his arms, placing a hand on Yami's cheek and stroking it fondly. "You won't hurt me, Yami. I promise you that. I trust in you and Aqua that in such a devoting and passionate moment with so much love and care that the thoughts of hurting me won't hinder your loving caresses and heartwarming kisses. I have waited for the day when my fear won't stop you or Aqua from continuing and waiting for another time. I don't want to loose this chance of sharing a night like this with you two."

Yami smiled, thinking of how he and Aqua could be blessed with such a caring lover and nodded. "Of course. As long as we know that you won't feel hurt at all then we will continue." He whispered as he leaned down to kiss him, his craving for the young light rising to brimming proportions.

Yugi returned the kiss, moving his hand down from his face to his own black tunic, pulling at it lightly. Seeing what he wanted, he parted from the kiss once more and removed the offending garment. Aqua too had removed his own tunic and was now sitting there, crimson eyes veiled over with lust and pent-up passion but retained himself, waiting.

Yugi saw this and reached over to him, stroking his knee and once he had his attention, he motioned to him and he lowered his head just enough so Yugi can wrap a hand around the spines and brought him in another kiss as Yami went to remove the shenti around his waist and revealed his weeping arousal.

His mouth watered at seeing Yugi fully for the first time in such a state and his gaze traveled down the sweat soaked body down to the one thing that needed attention and he smirked, fangs gleaming. Yugi was still indulged in the kiss with Aqua, not wary of what was about to happen until he heard Yami chuckle and felt a moist, warm heat around his arousal.

He arched up, breaking away from Aqua with a gasp and gripped both Aqua's spines and the sheets. He clenched his eyes, cheeks flushed and the overwhelming emotion running through the link making his body shudder with the need to release and excitement. Yami smirked and started his work.

Yugi was thrashing on the bed, moaning and begging for more. His heartbeat was pounding in his ears while his bangs, now soaked with sweat, stuck to his forehead. Aqua wiped them away before placing his hand upon Yugi's cheek and kissed him softly on his kiss-bruised lips.

It was short and Aqua took the time to explore Yugi's body, finding many erogenous areas on the younger that he acknowledged and used to his greatest advantage. Knowing that the young light would come if the waves upon waves of sweet pleasure done by them both continued, they stopped, causing the receiver to groan in disappointment.

"Oh, we're not don't yet, little koi. There is much more we have for you." Yami whispered as he moved up towards the fountain, removing his shenti and letting it slip to the floor as he coated his hand in the warm, sandalwood scented oil. Aqua purred, nuzzling Yugi and returned the nuzzle almost sleepily but was all awake for the next experience.

"Before we continue further, I just have one request for you both." Yugi whispered and they looked to him. "Whatever would that be?" Aqua questioned, sleek tongue licking away the beads of sweat that coursed down Yugi's face. "I want you to be your demon forms when you take me." Yami was surprised at said request.

"Are you sure? You know we don't want to hurt you and as demons, that could happen." he said. "I know the risks of that but I want it that way. I just know that it would bring more of a passionate feel to all of this since that what you both truly are but hide it beneath a mortal form. Do not bound yourselves unless its needed and here, in the presence of me, you don't have to." Yugi explained, still panting from the after-effects of their explorations but they knew his words held meaning.

In the blink of an eye, they were their demon selves and that alone seemed to increase the heat, passion and lustful aura in the room._ 'Do I dare try...'_ Yugi pondered with what little consciousness wasn't fogged by the desire, want and passion that has clouded his mind so far. He remembered the one worded commands that he was granted and was tempted to see their effects in action.

_'No better time than this.'_ he thought and whispered youkai. Their sensitive hearing caught the command and both Yami and Aqua were still for a few moments before Yami let out a rumbling purr and turned to Yugi. "I want you now, koibito." he whispered passionately as he crawled back over to him.

Yugi saw the hungry look he was giving him and shook with excitement. Yami's tail came to wrap around his waist, lifting him up slightly as he came to settle between his slim, pale legs. He raised his coated hand and slowly started to prepare him, gaining a pleased moan from him.

As he was preparing him, his fingertips brushed a very sensitive spot within Yugi and that brought a spark of pleasure coursing through him and he arched up about as much as he could with Yami's tail still wrapped around his waist. A keening moan emitted from his throat and Yami smirked, seeing as he found what he wanted and once he was done with the preparation, he reached back over to the fountain, coating his hand once more only to prepare himself.

Once he was done with that, he moved back over to Yugi and hovered above him, his own hardened arousal brushing his prepared entrance. "Koibito, as I share this moment with you, I want to hear you sing. Sing with the passion, lust, desire, want and enjoyment that you feel. I love hearing your beautiful voice and hearing it during this fulfilling moment will bring me into an euphoria no one other than you could make me reach." he whispered as he leaned down to kiss him, pushing inside of him gently. Yugi whimpered slightly from pain but Yami continued to kiss him, Aqua coming to place short kisses upon Yugi's bare flesh.

When he was fully sheathed, he stood still, waiting but it wasn't long before Yugi gave him permission to move and he did so, finding a slow pace that still brought unimaginable pleasure to the little hikari. Aqua started to nip and lick at Yugi's neck, making his breaths come out in uneven pants. Moans, mewls and soft screams came from Yugi as the doubled pleasure continued. Yami grinned and shifted just slightly, causing Yugi to let out a loud scream of pleasure, arching up blindly to get more of the wonderful feeling he just felt.

The pace became faster, making Yugi's cries of passion grow in volume. His hands, once stationary, started to move, reaching down to where he wanted to be touch badly but Aqua took hold of them, pinning them down at his sides and he smirked down to him. "No no, koibito. You don't want this to end so early, do you?" he whispered breathlessly, tail curling around him to tilt his head up slightly. Yugi shook his head slowly, or at least the best he could, before crying out again. "Yes, continue to sing, beautiful one. I want to hear your voice reach the high heavens." Yami said, never slowing his pace once.

Aqua murred softly, his smirk widening as his tail moved down, caressing Yugi softly until he reached his arousal and wrapped his tail around it, causing another pleasure filled cry to reach their ears. Soon enough, Yugi let out a loud cry of fulfillment as the pent-up passion was let free. Yami let out a low moan as his own release came, claws digging into the bed. His breathing was harsh as he stayed hovering above Yugi. He smiled down at him and leaned down to give him a passion filled kiss.

Yugi returned it, eyes closed as he relished the feeling. Aqua removed his tail and nuzzled the side of his head, purring deeply. Yami finally slipped out, already missing the tight heat of his little koibito and parted his lips from his young lover. Yugi was panting hard but a smile was on his face.

"That was so wonderful. I could never get enough of that feeling of completion." Yugi whispered and Yami smiled. "You have gave me the most wonderful gift, koi, and I will cherish this for many days to come." Yugi smiled warmly before turning his head enough to look up to Aqua who stopped nuzzling him.

"And don't think I forgotten about you. Come, Aqua." he beckoned. "I would love to but you should rest just a bit." Yugi shook his head. "I want this night to be for you both. To gain something that I won't dare give to another. The emotions that still course through our link confirms it. I don't want you to be left out even when you have given me so much pleasure as Yami made love to me." Aqua groaned in pleasure and leaned down to kiss him, Yami moving out of the way so Aqua could take his place.

He did so and with ease, nipped and licked at every oversensitive part of Yugi, bringing him back to full arousal once more. Once the deed was completed, he coated his hand in oil. He removed his shenti and quickly prepared and positioned himself. "Are you absolutely sure? I crave this moment more than anything but I am willing to wait until you feel up to it a second time."

"I'm sure. Go ahead, Aqua." Aqua didn't have to be told twice and he entered Yugi with a deep moan. Once Yugi gave him the confirmation to move, he moved at an agonizingly slow pace. Yugi moaned deeply and wrapped his arms around his neck, pulling him close and giving him a soft kiss. He continued with the slow, gentle pace as he broke the kiss only to nip at random spots of Yugi's sweet skin, making his moans louder. Yugi begged him to go faster he complied with his lover's wish, shifting to hit the bundle the brought him so much pleasure.

Yugi cried out in unabashed delight and Aqua gave a rumbling purr as he continued with the fast pace, both their rising peaks coming close to the end. Soon enough, with a roar of satisfaction and a cry of passion, both arched up against on another. Aqua milked his release, panting hard and Yugi looked up to him with a smile, sweat soaking his body, making him glow in the light of the room.

_**-That's the end! Hoped you enjoyed this very long lemon that you all waited for!-**_

"This was the best night I ever had and I'm glad to have shared it with you two." Yugi whispered. "We're glad that you have given the gift we have long waited for. We had hoped and waited that one day, you would give us the gift of your body and innocence and we are happy that you have given us the pleasure of that." Aqua said, removing himself from Yugi and went to lie down beside him, exhausted but sated. Yugi smiled to him and moved closer to him to place a chaste kiss on his cheek.

"We are all exhausted now. Let's get some rest now and maybe we can see about meeting my friends tomorrow to go somewhere." Yugi said as Yami laid down on the other side of Yugi and nodded. "Yes, that's sounds like a good idea." he murmured before yawning and he lied his head down upon the silk pillows, falling asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Yugi smiled as he lied down on his back and stroke Yami's face gently. "Goodnight, Yami." He then turned to Aqua who was asleep as well after turning out the lights in the room with his magic. "You too, Aqua."

He laid down as well, nestled between the two demons and soon fell into a dream-filled slumber, a smile on his face as he felt that everything was complete now. _'I have given them the greatest gift...a most precious gift that means more to them than their freedom from the Sennen Puzzle. They are truly happy now and so am I since I was the one to grant so much happiness to them.'_

0

But not far away, two new demonic spirits were freed and they were ready to set their plan into effect.

0

Zypher: There! Finally done! And I think I burned out my lemon factory. Oh well, I'll get to work on that soon since I'll be needing it again soon. I'll give you a hint. Another lemon will be somewhere in Duelist Kingdom and you can try to guess when if you want. -laughs- Anyways, hoped you enjoy the awaited lemon and the chapter. My mind says this lemon probably wasn't my best, probably because I started to lose my train of thought at some point during it, but that all depends on what you readers think! Now, time to get working on that next chapter and the introduction to Ryou and Diamond and don't forget, next kiriban at 155 reviews so the next to review gets a gift of their choice from me! See you soon!


	35. Mysterious Transfer Students

Zypher: I'm glad you all enjoyed the last chapter! Glad you enjoyed the lemon too! Anyways, we finally get to the arrival of Ryou and Diamond and, sadly, the laster few chapters of Yami no Game: Death's Awakening. My last and final kiriban will be at 175 so keep those reviews coming! Now here's the next chapter for you all!

0

Yami no Game: Death's Awakening

Chapter 35

0

Yugi sat in his classroom, still thinking about the night he shared with Yami and Aqua while waiting for the teacher to come in. He looked up though when he heard a girl run in. "Hey, big news! Did you hear! Two transfer students are coming to our class!" The girl spoke to another. "Wow! Really!"

The girl nodded. "Yes! And the first was a guy!"

"Did you see him! What's he like!"

"Oh, I saw him! He's really cute!"

Yugi listened in on this and started to wonder exactly who the new transfer students were. The door soon opened and the teacher walked in with a white haired teen and a snow white furred sphinx. "Here he is!" A girl whispered, giggling to herself. "Ooh! He's high level alright!" Another girl whispered and the sphinx snorted.

The teacher coughed and got their attention. "Ahem...attention everyone...we have two new students joining us today..." he spoke. Ryou smiled warmly to the class. "My name is Ryou Bakura and this is my half sister, Diamond Rose. We're pleased to meet you all." he said.

Yugi gave a smile as well. _'Ryou Bakura and Diamond Rose...maybe we could become friends...'_ Yugi thought. "Now, where should we sit you two...Ah, the two seats next to Jounouchi is open..." the teacher spoke and Jou started flailing his arms.

"That's me! Over here!" he said. Ryou nodded and both he and Diamond started walking over to their seats. The girls groaned at seeing him sit next to Jou.

"Eww! Be careful, Bakura-san!"

"Don't let Jounouchi pollute you!"

"Me pollute him! Why I ougtta-" Jou growled but Diamond touched his shoulder. "Don't worry about them. We basically ignore any comments the girls give to him." she said and he grinned. They sat down and Ryou turned to look at Jou. "It's nice to meet you, Jounouchi!" Ryou said.

"Same here and no need to call me Jounouchi! Just call me Jou! And while were at it, let's be friends!" Jou exclaimed and Diamond smiled. "Sure, why not. We could use some good friends while we're here." she said. They quieted at the teacher got started with the lesson.

0

At break, Yugi, Zella and Honda came over to greet Ryou and Diamond. "Ryou, Diamond, these are my buds!" Jou said.

"Hi, I'm Yugi."

"And this is Honda and Zella." Jou greeted for them. Zella smiled brightly. "Nice to meet you both!" she said. They nodded and then started to ask questions about one another. When Yugi mentioned the game shop, that caught Ryou's attention. "Wow Yugi...your family runs a game store?" he asked and he nodded. "Yeah. Do you like games, Ryou?" He nodded. "Yes, both me and Diamond love to play games. We especially like boards games and tabletop games...our favorite is a game called Monster World...have you heard of it before?"

"Wow...Monster World! That sounds fun!" Yugi said happily. Jou turned to look at him. "What kind of game is Monster World?" he asked. "Monster World is a combination board game and roleplaying game! You know, like "Hobgoblin" or "Mazes and Monsters"! One person plays the "Dark Master" and the monsters while the other people play a group of adventurers. Together they act out a story using miniature lead figures on a playing field. The Dark Master wins if he defeats all the adventurers but in turn, if the adventurers defeat the Dark Master, who is like the boss of the game, they win.

"The neat thing about Monster World is that the board is made of connecting blocks that can be arranged anyway you like. You can also buy blocks to expand your playing field. There are forests, villages, castles and mountains and by arranging them, you could come up with a new adventure each time you play!" Yugi explained. "Well I'm impressed, Yugi. You sure know your games." Diamond said. Yugi smiled and his friends started to talk about it excitedly. "This sounds fun! How about we all come to play Monster World with you two!" Zella said, looking to them.

Diamond looked down quietly and Ryou didn't say anything for a while. "Um...o-ok then." he whispered. Yugi saw this and started to wonder. _'They don't seem really into it. I wonder why?'_ he thought. Ryou looked back to Yugi, seeing the Sennen Puzzle around his neck.

"Oh...by the way, here's something I've been meaning to ask you...where did you get that pendant, Yugi?" he asked. "Oh this? It's called the Sennen Puzzle. I don't know much about it but I heard it came from a tomb of an Egyptian pharaoh in Egypt was supposed to hold two spirits within it." he explained, not wanting to mention anything about Yami and Aqua to Ryou and Diamond just yet.

"Really now? Do you mind if we can see it?" Diamond asked once she heard Ryou ask about the puzzle. Yugi nodded and removed the puzzle from around his neck and handed it to Diamond. She took hold of it and looked to it in wonder. "This is very intriguing. Actually we also..." she gasped and held a hand to her chest. Ryou started to worry and winced, his face grimacing from the pain. Yugi stated to worry and asked if they were alright. "It's nothing..." Diamond whispered as she handed the puzzle back to him.

"Here's your puzzle back." she said and he took it from her, still worrying that she and Ryou were hurt in some way. _'Why does my chest hurt? I can't be from that gem pendant I have.'_ She took a glance over to Ryou and saw him wince in pain again. But soon, the pain vanished from them as fast as it came and they looked up to see a few girls and some boys walk into the class. "Hey, Jounouchi! Don't hog Bakura-san and Rose-san all to yourself!" One of the girls said. The other agreed and he snorted.

The groups of girls and boys dragged them off, saying that they will show them around the school and such. Jou snorted again as he lied his head on his desk. "Guys like Ryou have all the luck!" he groaned. "Hey, it's already odd enough seeing all those boys hound Diamond. I thought it was worse when I came." Zella said. "But all in all, I think Ryou and Diamond are nice people and would become great friends!" Yugi said. "Yeah! You're right! I'm sure of that myself!" Jou said.

_'We'll have to play Monster World with them sometime.'_ Yugi thought.

0

"There's the bathroom!"

"And this is the music room!"

The group continued to lead them through the school, showing them the different classrooms. Ryou only agreed shyly, not good with many girls other than Diamond. "And next is..." As they continued to walk, a teacher saw them walk by and came to stop them in their tracks. "Hey you! You think you two can walk around the school with a flock of girls and boys? Whose class are you supposed to be in?" he demanded.

"Oh no, it's Karita-sensei, the P.E. teacher!" A girl whispered. "This isn't going to go well." A boy groaned. Karita looked down at them with a grim smile before speaking again. "You're the two new kids that just transferred here, aren't you? I hear you two had some problems in your last school..." he said before grabbing a fistful of Ryou's hair and pulling at it. "However, there's rules at Domino High, mister! Like this hair!" he said, tugging at it again and making Ryou wince.

"Long hair for boys is against the rules!" He then turned to Diamond who growled. "And as for you, missy, the same applies to you! Long hair past mid back is not allowed!" The girls and boys started to protests but knew they couldn't do much because Karita was a teacher. Karita looked down to them, still having a grip on Ryou's hair. "Listen and listen well, I want to see you both with short hair by tomorrow! When I see you accomplish that, I'll treat you as students of this school!" he said before letting go of Ryou's hair and walked off with a laugh.

"He's awful!" A girl cried. Another went over to Ryou to ask if he was alright. "Yes...I'm fine. I'm sorry but could I be alone for a while?" he asked. They nodded and he soon walked off, Diamond following him. Once they were in a secluded part of the school, Ryou sighed and looked up to Diamond. "Did it happen to you, too? Did your chest start hurting all of a sudden?" he asked and she nodded.

"Yeah. I don't know what's going on but it started even since I held Yugi's pendant." she said before reaching for the gold chain around her neck and pulled at it, revealing a pendant with a large gem on it. The gem itself was about the size of her palm and was embedded in a intricate gold base. Inside the gem was the Sennen eye which looked at if it was sealed inside the center of the gem

Ryou pulled out his own pendant that was a large ring with five points and a triangle on the inside with the same eye on it. They both heard laughter and looked around, seeing no one. _'Something is going on...we always hear someone but then no one is there.'_ Ryou thought before they both placed their pendants away and headed back to their classes without seeing the group of girls and boys.

0

After school, they were leaving out when Yugi and the others caught up with them. "Hey, Ryou-kun! Diamond-chan!" Yugi called as they came over to them. They were surprised to see them but smiled. "Hi everyone!" Ryou said, turning to meet them. "I was talking to my friends and they'd loved to play Monster World tomorrow! What do you two think? Can we come to your house to play? If not, we can go to my house and play the game." Yugi explained.

"Oh...well..." Ryou went silent after that and Yugi started to worry again. "You don't want to...?" he asked softly. "No, that's not it! We would love to play the game with you! All of you!" Diamond said for Ryou but sighed.

"The thing is...at our last school, we used to get together with our friends to play roleplaying games...but when we did, a strange thing would happen..." She took a deep breath before continuing. "People who played games with us would lose consciousness. They're still in a coma in the hospital...you may not believe me but it's true." she whispered. This shocked them and Yugi was about to walk forward to comfort them but Ryou's voice stopped him.

"That sort of thing kept happening, so people started avoiding us...that's why we kept changing schools...now we're living in an apartment by ourselves, away from our family..." He said, gripping the handle of his schoolbag. "We want to be friends with you! And we want to play games but...I made a decision that we both agreed on...Diamond and I don't want to lose anymore friends...so you shouldn't get close to us..." he said, wiping away tears before leaving. Diamond watched him go before turning back to Yugi and his friends. "We'll see you...if it's possible." she whispered before leaving as well.

"Diamond-chan! Ryou-kun! Don't go!" Yugi called but they were already gone. _'People going in a coma because of a game? That can't be possible...can it?'_ he wondered before deciding to head home, saying goodbye to his friends as he left.

0

Later that night, Ryou was in his room, writing a letter to his sister. Diamond was in the room with him but was reading a book quietly to herself. A deep chuckle was heard and Ryou looked up._ 'That voice again!'_ he thought and the person chuckled again. _/"So...you can hear me now, can you?"/_ The voice spoke. Ryou stood up from his chair and looked around. "Who's there!" His outburst caught Diamond's attention and she looked over to him. "Is something wrong, Ryou?" she asked.

"That voice. It came back." he replied in a whisper.

"It did! I didn't hear anything!" she said as she got up and walked over to him. Another voice chuckled and this time, Diamond heard it. _/"I guess from now on, we'll be able to speak with out hosts...truly a day to remember!"/_ he spoke before laughing. "Who are you people and why do you keep speaking to us!" she demanded.

Neither voice didn't answer to her question but one did speak up again._ /"It truly is and something else worth remembering...we've finally met him! The other boy with a Sennen item...after 3,000 years...the Sennen items must be resonating with each other to produce some kind of field..and that's why you two can hear us now..."/_ The first spoke.

"Who are you? What is this voice that keeps plaguing my mind!" Ryou cried, falling to his knees. _/"Who are we, you ask...we've been with you two for a long time...hiding within you...and within the ring and gem of wisdom, the Sennen Ring and Sennen Gem..."/_

"The Sennen Ring and Gem? You mean these pendants..!" Diamond said before trying to pull off the pendant from around her neck but it wouldn't budge. She gasped and pulled away her shirt to see the pendant was embedded into her chest. She gasped and tried to remove it but it wouldn't move at all. "Ryou! The pendant! It won't move. Hurry and get rid of yours!" she said and he tried to do the same but his wouldn't move either and he unbuttoned his shirt to see the points digging under his skin. Both voices laughed in grim satisfaction.

_/"Now you can't take us off...because of you two, we've finally found the bearer of the Sennen Puzzle...we've decided to keep you as our hosts permanently!"/_ Ryou shook his head and tried to remove the ring but it wouldn't move and blood continued to spill from the wounds. "No! _**No!**_ Get out! Get out of my body and leave Diamond alone as well!" he said.

_/"Now, now...don't be so cold to us. Believe me when I say, it feels good in here! In **you**!"/_ The voice purred and the other laughed, agreeing with him. _/"And instead of paying rent, we grant wishes! Your wishes! Why, we've granted them almost every day..."/_ the voice whispered.

"Huh...?" Ryou asked in shock.

_/"Didn't you two think this when you were playing those games? "How fun this is"! "I wish we could play games with my friends forever"! We granted that wish for you both!"/_

"Wh...What are you talking about...Y-You can't mean those..." Diamond started but the other voice silenced her. _/"Well...you'll realize soon enough..."/_ he said.

_/"In any case, this is our chance to get our hands on the Sennen Puzzle! Especially without the spirits inhabiting it! If we let this opportunity go by, I don't know how long we'll have to wait for another one...the Sennen items are relics that house souls from the past...like memorial or portable tombs...however...if there's a guardian of the tomb...there must also be a thief to rob the tomb!"/_ The voice said with a laugh.

_/"Now...since I'm feeling good tonight, let us pay our rent and maybe get a feast from the unworthy souls that dares cross our path..."/_ he spoke and Ryou gasped. "No! W-What are you up to!" he spoke, wanting to know exactly was was being planned but the voice only laughed darkly. _/"...So you want short hair? You may not believe us, but we care for our masters, our landlords...that gym teacher swore at you both, didn't he...?"/_ he spoke and Ryou gasped.

"Don't...!"

_/Sleep our sweet prince and princess...sleep.../_ Was the last thing they heard before unconsciousness took them in its embrace, no matter how much Diamond tried to fight it.

0

At the school, Karita was about to head home when he heard someone coming towards him and before he could get a word out, the words "Penalty Game!" Was all he heard before his body slumped onto the ground, now devoid of a soul. The black sphinx walked over and reached down to grab the miniature figure from the ground beside Karita. "His soul is now sealed into this miniature! From now on, you'll act your part as a living piece in our campaign world!" he said before looking to the other.

"Now that we have some freedom, a nice big meal is in order. Right, Bakura?" The sphinx asked and the other grinned, showing sharp fangs. "Yes. Ryou and Diamond always keep us sealed away and won't let us out for a meal once in a while. We pay our rent by giving them friends to always be there to play games but they must also give us what we want." Bakura said as he walked off. "And what we want is a true form and we can't gain one locked away. We can only get one by devouring flesh and souls..." he continued as they went to look for unworthy souls to use for their nightly meal.

_'And we will get what we want so we can claim what we desire...Ryou, my sweet little prince...you will soon be mine...'_

0

The next day, Yugi and the others were worried when Ryou or Diamond didn't come to school that day. They were walking down the street, heading to their apartment and were in awe when they saw exactly where they lived. "This is the apartment where they live! It's huge!" Jou said before getting over his shock and look to them. "We all know what the plan is, right? Ryou-kun and Diamond-chan must be staying home, down in the dumps!"

"Yup!"

"Lucky for them, they're our friends! We're going to go play games until we prove that those people going into comas was just a coincidence!" he spoke and they nodded as they started heading up to the apartment. "Say Jou! Did you hear that Karita-sensei was taken to the hospital in a coma? Isn't that weird?" Honda explained. "That stupid P.E. teacher? Serves him right!" Jou said. "Hey Yugi, why didn't you invite Yami and Aqua?" Zella asked.

"They needed some rest. They wanted to come with me to school but I didn't want them to fall asleep on their feet." Yugi said and she nodded. They finally reached their apartment and rang the doorbell. Ryou opened the door and was surprised to see them there.

"Y-Yugi! Everyone..."

"We came over to play with you and Diamond, Ryou!" Zella said.

"Let's all play Monster World together!" Yugi exclaimed and he shook his head. "No! Get out of..." He abruptly stopped and looked back to them, a small smile on his face and his features looking like they changed. "...the hall and come on in! I'm so glad you could all make it today...right this way." 'Ryou' said as he led them inside.

"Don't mind if I do! Sorry we didn't call ahead..." Jou exclaimed as they slipped out of their shoes at the door and walked in. Yugi didn't say anything but was curious about Ryou. _'Did his expression change all of a sudden..?'_ he thought then shook his head.

"Must be my imagination..." he whispered. "Diamond and I just had this feeling that you all would come over! You're our friends after all..." 'Ryou' said, leading them to his and Diamond's shared room. "I wish I had an apartment like this!" Jou said as he looked around with excitement.

_'That was close...don't be mean my sweet prince...it would be rude to turn away your friends after they've come over to play...'_ Bakura thought with a silent laugh. "I've already got the game all set up and Diamond's waiting for us in our room!" he said as he opened the door and they all gasped at they looked to the huge field map.

"This is so cool!" Yugi said.

"Monster World, the adventure board game! This is our custom battle board!" 'Diamond' said, no one noticing the two rings of midnight black fur around her wrists nor her eyes being a crimson color instead of their usual dark blue. "Now, let's do some roleplaying!" 'Ryou' said, a dark look in his eyes. _'Or should I say...a yami no game...!'_ he thought, laughing silently in his mind. In their soul rooms, Ryou and Diamond desperately tried to get free. To warn their friends of the danger they were about to get themselves into.

0

Zypher: And this is all for today! Hoped you all enjoyed and will be waiting for the next one which will soon be on its way! See you soon!


	36. Start of Monster World

Zypher: And welcome all to another chapter! Glad you all enjoyed it! So here's the next chapter for you all and I hope you enjoy this one like all others!

Note to Shinigami (if you do come to review again): Yes, I'm following the manga but with my own plot and yes, I'm planning to make a sequel following the show and if I can, will do my best to keep it closely related to what happened in the subbed version than the dubbed.

0

Yami no Game: Death's Awakening

Chapter 36

0

Yugi and his friends were getting more excited, already eager enough to start playing the game. "I just can't wait to play, Ryou-kun!" Yugi said and 'Ryou' nodded. "Me too, Yugi..." he whispered. "Now, why don't we start playing now?" he spoke up and they all gave their agreement. Bakura secretly took a glance down to the puzzle. _'Yugi...we will win this yami no game and we'll take your Sennen Puzzle!'_ he thought. Before starting the game, 'Ryou' explained the rules to them. They hung on to every word before Jou spoke up.

"So we get to kill things?" he asked and 'Ryou' nodded. "You cut right to the point!" he said. Yugi looked over to Jou. "Ryou's right. In Monster World, it combines the elements of a board game and a roleplaying game. Ryou is taking part of the Game Master in a rpg."

"Roleplaying game? You mean something like a video game?" Zella asked and he nodded. "Yeah but video roleplaying games are more common today...but the original roleplaying games were played around a table like this." Yugi said. 'Diamond' smiled and nodded. "That's right! And do you know the true meaning of roleplaying?" she asked and they came up with a blank. "Playing a role! You get to become the character! By getting inside the mind of the character and acting out your part, the players can enter an imaginary world! It's the original virtual reality!"

"She's right. That's the true beauty of the game!" 'Ryou' said and she glared at him from the corner of her eye. _'Why does it seem Ryou-kun and Diamond-chan are different from yesterday...'_ Yugi thought before listening to 'Ryou' as he spoke again. "Before we truly start the game, everyone needs to create their characters!" he said, picking up four sheets and handed it to them.

"Fill in your data on these character sheets." They took the sheets and started looking at the race list. Jou looked at the list and stated laughing, looking to Honda. "Honda! You should be a pixie-fairy! That race is made for you!" he said and Honda growled. "You're the fairy, baka!"

"Maybe I'll be a half-elf..." Yugi pondered.

"Once you chosen your race, next you need to choose your class." 'Diamond' spoke. They went through the class list, making their decisions while Bakura and Crimson watched. _'Choose carefully...you'll be playing that character for longer than you think...a lot longer!'_ Bakura thought with a smirk. "Alright! We finished making our character sheets!" Jou said and 'Diamond' took them back before looking them over and nodded as she handed them to 'Ryou'. "Ok! Let me put the final touches to your miniatures!" he said.

Once he was done, he gave them each a miniature that looked like them but with the race and class they chose. "Wow! You made these figures look just like us!" Jou said as he took his. "Yes, Diamond and I pride our games on our attention to every little detail." 'Ryou' spoke. "I'll enter your character data into the computer for reference. These numbers will make all the difference when you get into a life-or-death fight! With Ryou as the master, he makes all the crucial rolls!" 'Diamond' said as she typed in the info into the computer.

"There, it's all done! Place your pieces on "Start"!" she said, looking to them and they did so. "Alright. Game Start!" she called but as they looked to the field, there was nothing there. "Where are the other pieces? There's not a single enemy monster!" Jou exclaimed in disappointment. "One of the facts of this game is that you don't know where the enemy monsters are hiding! The monsters will appear depending on the players' actions...or sometimes, by random chance!" 'Ryou' spoke.

"Yeah, come to think about it, we don't know much about this world!" Jou said.

"Like who's the enemy or what's the point of the game!" Honda added.

"The town! You go into a town to get information in an rpg, don't you?" Zella questioned.

"Zella's right! Let's head to the town first!" Yugi spoke as they move their pieces towards the village and 'Diamond' removed the piece to reveal the inn underneath. They were intrigued as the piece was removed. Jou was the first to speak up. "Hey, you! Old man! As you can see, we're highly skilled adventurers! Any way for us to make some money?" he asked and Honda groaned. "You start with money...?"

"At those words, the villager sends a glance your way and sighs as he speaks."

/"If money could solve our problems, I'd give you all I've got...but before you could claim your reward, you'd be dead!"/ the villager said. "And with that, the old man moves away from the bar..." 'Ryou' said but Jou was determined as he moved his piece again. "Wait a sec! It sounds like you got a story to tell! We're all ears for it!" he said and Honda slapped his forehead. "Hearing these words, the old man opens his mouth and speaks in a heavy tone..."

/"...until a few years ago, this village was peaceful...but then the dark lord Zorc assassinated the king and changed the castle into a den of evil! After that, monster began appearing in our peacefully valley. Many of my fellow villagers have fallen prey to them."/ The villager spoke and Jou was now even more determined to defeat Zorc but promised to do so for some gold pieces and Zella smacked him over the head. "Jou! This game's bringing out your bad side!" she hissed angrily and he pouted. "Not my fault I couldn't get the best items I wanted at the start." he murmured.

Zella only snorted before turning to Yugi. "Yugi...does these pieces have a little speaker inside of it? To me, it really sounds like that old man is talking..." she said and Yugi shook his head. "No, I don't really think so. But it is odd that he really sounds as if he was talking. Maybe Ryou can throw his voice to make the people talk." Yugi said and Bakura's eyes darkened but they continued the game.

/"Hear me adventurers! Before you start on your journey to Zorc's castle, you should talk to that man in the corner...he can tell you the safest route to the castle!"/ The villager said and they spotted the man standing at the table alone. They moved over to him and when the figure turned, they realized who he looked like. "Hey! That figure almost looks like Karita-sensei!" Jou said, laughing along with Honda.

/"I-It's you! Jounouchi! Honda!"/ Karita yelled but Jou only looked to Honda, asking if he called his name. Honda shook his head and asked the same of Jou. /"Save me, you guys! They turned me into a miniature!"/ he cried and turned back to see Crimson's dark look.

_/"You are no longer a teacher or a man called Karita...we made you into an eternal inhabitant of our masters' game world. Now play your part...you will act as the role of Villager D forever!"/_ he hissed. _/"Play the part or have your soul die a gruesome death by our hunger!"/_

The figure flinched before turning back to the others. /"Z-Zorc's castle...is to the north...outside of the villager...B-But stay out of the forest...it's full of monsters..."/ he spoke shakily. They nodded and soon left the town but Yugi looked back to the figure. _'That villager...it really seemed like it was talking...like it was alive...'_ he thought.

Bakura chuckled to himself as he watched them. _'Let Karita-sensei's fate foreshadow your own!'_ Jou pumped a fist into the air as he looked down to the board. "Ok! Now we know our mission! We head for Zorc's castle!" he said. "Let's roll! Don't stop for anything!" 'Ryou' nodded. "All right...you've just entered an area where there's a danger of random encounter...from now on, there's a judgment roll every turn to determine if monsters will appear!" he spoke before holding up two dice. "Using these 10-sided dice!"

"10-sided dice..."

"I've never seen dice like that before..."

"The area you're in right now has a monster encounter rate of 30 percent! the roll is done with two 10-sided dice! The white die is the ones column...the red die is the tens column...so you get a number between zero and 99! If the outcome is from 31-99 then you avoided meeting any monsters! But I make the roll!" he said as he threw the dice and the red die landed on 2 and the white die landed on 1. "This judgment roll is 21! That's lower than 30...that means that a monster appears!" he said as the monster fazed onto the field and it was a Level 3 Goblin.

Jou chuckled in glee. "We found a monster!" he said happily, itching to get the chance to fight a monster. "I was getting bored waiting for a fight!" he said as 'Ryou' handed him the dice. "All of the battles are decided with these 10-sided dice! With a percentage roll! Now you go first! Take your shot!" 'Ryou' said and Jou took the dice with a big grin.

"Alright! The warrior rolls!" he said as he threw the dice and roll was 13. 'Diamond' started to type the info into the laptop before looking back up. "Based on the warrior's level, speed and weapon, I calculate that the warrior's short sword skill kills the goblin on a roll of 40 or less!" she spoke. "So the goblin goes down!"

The lead miniature of Jou slashed at the Goblin and with a defeated cry, it was gone. "The closer you roll to double zero, the more damage you inflict to the enemy! But on the other hand, if you throw a fumble, a 99, you have to take a penalty..." 'Ryou' spoke. _'The penalty to become a miniature in our game world...for the rest of your lives!'_ Bakura thought with a sinister grin.

0

Zypher: And that will be all for today! Sorry if the chapter seemed short but I'm going as long as the duel stories in the manga goes. But soon, we'll be getting to the real battle and a breakthrough with Bakura and Crimson's emotions towards Ryou and Diamond (good enough of a hint on my part of what will happen towards the end but I'm not giving away any more info!).

And as a last note, I have now decided to change tidbits to the sequel. Instead of having the entire sequel to be based off the anime, I will now have all of Duelist Kingdom and Battle City be manga-centric and other parts such as Dungeon Dice Monsters, Capsule Monsters, Doom Saga and the KC Grand Prix be based off the anime.

Why, because I just read my copy of Yugioh: Duelist volume 3 and I think I'll have fun following the manga for those stories even though I seem to be following the same thing when it comes to Angel's Nocturne's sequel for Laryna6 Do You Dream of Me except for the plot basis of them. Oh well, I'm sure you all enjoyed that sequel, for those that read it, and will enjoy mine just as much when I get to it. But for now, hoped you all liked this chapter and will be waiting for more. See you soon!


	37. True Roleplaying Miniatures

Zypher: And here we are with another chapter to your favorite story! Glad you all enjoyed the last chapter so here's another one for you all! Enjoy!

Note to Shinigami (again, if you come to review): I understand how you feel when it comes to subbed DVDs. For me, I only have about four of them that I was able to get from a shop in the mall but they were so pricey I couldn't afford to get the whole collection and soon they stopped selling them and I was stuck with the ones I have and those are of only the Battle City finals: The Yami vs Bakura duel , Mai vs Marik duel and at Alcatraz Tower, Marik vs Jounouchi duel and along with one or two episodes of the duel between Yami and Kaiba at the tower as well.

And yes, I'll be doing the part with Noah when I get to that point in the sequel. Also I do know what I'm getting myself into when it comes to the manga. In general, the whole concept of the Yami no Game story series I have is grim and dark to an extent to my writing and since there's so much that was cut out from the dubbed version, I feel more at ease with at least having something from the original subbed version whether it be manga or DVDs if I could ever find them. Yeah, Marik will become a real yami since he too will become a demon but it takes him longer.

How, I haven't got that far but I'll get it all figured out soon when I get close to the Battle City portion of the sequel. Yeah, Kaiba is pretty mean and nasty in the manga but he will become increasingly nicer in order for me to pair him and Jou together like I planned (hopefully you're not disgusted by it because it will make me feel bad that you reviewed with these questions and yet dislike yaoi in general with I can't think why if you're reading this story).

0

Yami no Game: Death's Awakening

Chapter 37

0

"Scratch one Level 3 Goblin!" An enthusiastic Jou cheered. "Now let's get going to Zorc's Castle!" he continued and the others nodded. Bakura only gave a faint hint of a smirk. _'Careful, Jou...if you roll a fumble on the dice...you'll be trapped in our game world forever!'_ he thought.

_'It's funny...you fools still haven't figured out the truth of Monster World. You don't know that this is a yami no game. And with me as the master, you put your livers in my hands! You know the Game Master has every right to any kind of punishment to place onto the players! I'll seal you into this game for eternity and my prince will have more friends by his side!'_ He then took a glance at the puzzle.

_'And not only will he get something from it all, Crimson and I shall be gaining something as well...the Sennen Puzzle!'_

"Let's keep moving!" Zella said as they continued to move their pieces. "Suddenly, you stop as, up ahead...you see someone lying across your path!" Bakura recited. "Look at that! That guy's passed out!" Honda said. "Without coming closer, you can't tell much about the prostrate figure lying before you...is he alive or dead? You can find out...or you can move on without helping him! What do you do?" 'Ryou' questioned, looking up to them.

"I feel sorry for him, let's help!" Zella suggested.

"But it's kind of weird...it could be a trap..." Yugi told them.

"Fine then! Leave this to me!" Jou announced as he looked down. "First I'll poke him with my sword!" he said as his miniature moved and poked the man slightly. "The warrior prods the stranger with his sword..." 'Ryou' spoke and then the figure on the field moved slightly. "Ohh...he moves slightly...it appears to be a young man...he looks at you and seems very afraid..."

"Hey, you! We're not your enemy! Nothing to be scared about!" Jou said and the miniature was silent before speaking out. /"Please help me! A monster attacked me in the forest and stole my treasure!"/ he spoke and Jou grinned. "Treasure?"

/"I was on my way to give it to the hero of the village! That treasure is a Holy Sword! It's the only thing that can defeat Zorc!"/ he spoke once more. "A sword that can beat Zorc!" They said in shock. /"Please, I beg of of you! Get back the treasure!"/

"Do you respond to the man's request...?" 'Ryou' asked. They looked to each other, trying to think of what to do. "But remember, that villager told us to stay away from the forest." Zella said. "But...but he's talking about treasure here!" Jou whined before looking to Yugi. "What do you think, Yugi?" He looked down, pondering. "I don't know...can it really be that easy to find a sword that'll defeat Zorc?" he said. _'That man in a NPC, a non-playable character prepared by the dark master. He could be our ally...or...'_ He thought, looking back down to the miniature._ 'Hmm...what should we do...'_

"Alright! Take us to the forest!" Yugi said and the man nodded. /"Thank you very much! I'll come with you!"/ he spoke happily. "Ok! You heed the young man's plea and head for the forest! The shadowy green leaves rise around you! This area, unfortunately, has an encounter rate of 80 percent!" 'Ryou' said as a portion of the field flipped over to reveal a forested area and that surprised Yugi and his friends.

"80 percent!"

'Ryou' chuckled as he held the dice in hand. "Judgment roll!" he said, rolling the dice and it landed on 05. "05! Not a good roll for you! The closer to 00, the stronger the monsters that appear!" he said and soon, monsters appeared in front of them. "Five monsters appear from the trees!" Yugi and the others were determined to get through the battle.

"Let's get 'em!" he said and 'Ryou' nodded before looking to 'Diamond' who was typing in more info. "Straight into battle you go! The players attack first! As said before, all battle at this point will take place using the 10-sided dice! if you roll a number under the attack success rate, you will manage to hit the monster! The closer you are to a critical, 00, the more damage you inflict onto the enemy!"

Jou nodded and took the dice. "Ok then! I'll get first swing!" he said as he threw the dice but it landed on 82. "82! Bad luck for Joey! He needs to roll a 30 or less to hit Beega! Not only does he miss, he trips and falls!" 'Diamond' spoke. "Aww! That sucks!" Jou whined as he watched his poor piece trip in front of the monster. "Let me handle this one!" Honda said as he took the dice and blew on them for luck. He threw the dice and it landed on 21. "Very good! Hiroto scores a hit!" 'Ryou' spoke as Honda's miniature landed a shot towards the Beega and destroyed it.

"Next is my turn!" Yugi said as he rolled the dice and it landed on 25. "The beast tamer can touch one monsters with his magic training hands and turn it into an ally! This power has a success rate of 50 percent so you succeed!" 'Diamond' said as she looked down to the board. Yugi smiled and looked to the evil monsters before picking one. "Alright! I choose you! Hand power!" he said, pointing to the evil Pokii monster and two hands appeared and engulfed the monster. After a few seconds, the monster was let free but it was now an ally.

"Great! The evil has disappeared from Pokii! Now we have a new ally!" Pokii smiled as he hovered by Yugi's miniature. /"Pokii! (Master, I'll be here for you always!)"/

"But there's still three monsters left!" Honda said and Zella took the dice. "I'll take it from here!" she said.

"Go for it, Zella!" Yugi cheered. She rolled the dice and they landed on 00.

"00! That's amazing! A super critical hit! That means that you can use the top level magic for an apprentice magician such as yourself!" 'Ryou' spoke as Zella's miniature prepared for the spell. "Go! Apprentice Final Big Bang!" she called and a large blast hit the field, destroying the last three monsters.

"That's what a super critical can do! That's awesome!" Jou exclaimed. "Right on, Zella!" Yugi cheered. Zella was surprised herself but she smiled either way. "Let's keep going!" she said and they were about to walk on when the NPC player stopped and gave a dark chuckle.

/"So, you are the four heroes who would defy me...you fell for my trap and entered the forest of the dead...this will be your grave!"/ he spoke, surprising them.

"Who are you?" Yugi questioned and the man swelled, becoming larger

"What's this? The young man changes and grows before you eyes! For he is none other than-The Dark Master Zorc!" 'Ryou' narrated and both Yugi and Jou gaped in horror. "Zorc!" They both said in shock and slight fear for meeting the Dark Master so far into the game already.

/"Before you die, there's one thing you should know! There is no sword in this world that can defeat me!"/ Zorc rumbled with a dark laugh afterwards.

"The players, completely deceived by his lies, are caught with their defenses down! Therefore, Zorc gets to take the first initiative! His success is determined by this roll!" 'Ryou' spoke as he rolled the dice and it landed on 00. "00! Super critical hit! Zorc's shadow power assaults the players! And his first target is you! Zella!" he said, pointing at her. "Mind Doll!" he whispered and soon, her eyes went dull and he slumped forward. Yugi jumped up and nudged her. "Zella! Zella, what's wrong?" Yugi called, trying to wake her up but nothing happened.

Bakura smirked as he took a glance to Crimson. _'One down! Her soul is in the miniature now! With my godlike game mastering techniques, I can roll criticals whenever I want! You're next, Yugi!'_ he thought. Yugi notice that this wasn't an ordinary power of the game. _'If I'm right..this isn't no ordinary game! It's a yami no game and we're trapped!'_ He thought before quickly sending a message to Yami and Aqua, hoping they will arrive soon before they were all caught.

Back on the board, the miniature of Zella moved on its own, wondering what was going on.

Yugi looked back to 'Ryou', or what was supposed to be Ryou until he saw the differences. "Who are you and what did you do to Zella!" he demanded and Bakura chuckled as his features finally changed, same with Diamond, her fur now turning a pitch black. "What did I do...? I'm the game master." He gave a light chuckle.

"I just followed the rules to keep the game going...but as you can see, I'm no ordinary game master...I'm a demonic game master and soon, I as well as my dear friend, Crimson, will be free from the bodies of our masters and grant them every wish they could want! Such as what we've done now!" he said. "And one more thing, just to let you know...this game you're playing right now...is the ultimate in roleplaying games!"

_'The ultimate in roleplaying games? What does he mean?'_ Yugi wondered. before sighing. _'I hope Yami and Aqua can make it soon.'_ he thought before he heard Bakura speaking again. "I told you before, didn't I? In roleplaying games, you have to become the character...you transcend reality to become the people of an imaginary world and live the adventure that unfolds!"

"Who cares! I'm asking you what you did with Zella!" Jou growled and Bakura chuckled. "Don't worry your little head off...Zella is alive! In Monster World..." he whispered. The miniature continued to look around. "W-what...is going on...?" she questioned to herself before looking up. "Why is everyone so big!" she cried before looking down at herself and gasped. _'No way! I've been turned into a miniature!'_ she thought before letting out a terrified shriek that the other heard. "I'm not hearing things this time! The magician figure just shrieked!" Jou exclaimed.

"And with Zella's voice!" Yugi said before looking down at her, calling her name. "Yugi! Help me! Please!" she cried. _'So it is true...she's been turned into a lead figure!'_ he thought. /Yugi! What's going on?/ Yami's voice floated through the link. /Me and my friends need your help! Ryou and Diamond has demonic spirits that are playing a yami no game against us! They already trapped Zella!/ Yugi responded and he heard a feral growl before Yami told him they were on their way.

"It's like I said. In this game, the player's fate is decided entirely on the roll of the dice. When the Dark Master Zorc's attack is the super critical 00...or if the player rolls a fumble of 99...the player's soul will be sealed into their figurine by the shadow power! The power of darkness! The only way you can save your friend is to defeat the Dark Master Zorc!" Bakura explained and Yugi growled. _'He will pay for this. Not only for taking over Ryou and Diamond but for trying to trap us in this game. When Yami and Aqua get here, you two will be begging for mercy, whether you're demons or not...'_ Yugi thought with anger.

Jou growled as he took the dice. "You lousy...I'm gonna deal with him! Die Zorc!" he said as he rolled the dice but it ended up as 99. _'No...not a fumble...'_ he thought. Bakura tsked. "First off...it wasn't your turn to attack! Not only was your roll the worse possible result, so is your gaming etiquette, Jou! To roll the dice without _my_ permission is breaking the rules of the game!" he said. "Prepare to live your new life in our game, Jou!" Jou gave a struggling gasp as his soul was sealed away into his lead figurine and he fell onto the table.

Jou woke up and realized he was too trapped in his own miniature. Zella looked to him and cried out. "Jou! Not you as well!" she sobbed. Yugi called for Jou and he turned to him. "Yugi! What can we do!" he called. "Just hold on! Yami and Aqua will be here soon to deal with this!" he said and Bakura only laughed. "Like they will arrive before you're all trapped within the game! You have little hope left!"

Yugi's eyes narrowed as he looked back to him and Crimson. "You..." he hissed and Crimson shook his head. "Think before you act, Yugi...if you and Honda become trapped, there won't be anyone to take your place and roll the dice so the game will end before the people you mentioned arrives.

"With that, you will be trapped forever and my little princess will be happy to have more friends to have by her side." he said. "Diamond will never agree to what you two did! Neither will Ryou!" Yugi said angrily as he looked down to Jou and Zella before turning to Honda. "We'll have to fight and win against Zorc to free them!" he said and Honda nodded.

"Yugi! Roll the dice in our favor when our turns comes! I know you can win this!" Jou said and he nodded.

Bakura chuckled again as he watched their struggles. "Then let's continue the game now and we'll see! The Magic Gunman can attack Zorc on the next turn!" he said and Honda glared at him. "That means me!"

Zorc only looked down to the adventurers with a bark of laughter. /"There's one more thing you should know! On your turn, you might be frozen in fear by my powerful aura! Let's hope you're lucky!"/ he said before laughing again. "He's right and for that, we need to check the Magic Gunman's courage score!" Crimson said as he typed a few keys. "You must roll the dice less than 70 percent, then you conquer your fear and can go first...however, if you fail, Zorc makes the first move!" he said.

"Now roll! Let the dice determine your fate!" Bakura spoke, a sinister grin plastered on his face. Honda growled as he glared at him. "You gotta be kidding me! Me afraid?" Honda shouted as he gripped the dice, doubting his words as his hand shook but soon became more determined.

"I'm not afraid! I won't be afraid!" he said as he rolled the dice. He watched them intensively but gaped as he saw the result. "94! This roll is stupid! I'm not afraid of him!" he growled. "There is no "you", it's only your character! The Magic Gunman is frozen in fear! He curses himself for his cowardice in front of the Dark Master!" Bakura said and Honda's anger rose.

"You dirty...!"

"Zorc wins the initiative! Shadow Power! Attack Roll!" Bakura hissed as he rolled the dice and again, its result was 00.

"What!" Both Honda and Yugi exclaimed. _'Not another super critical! There's no way how that could happen twice in a roll!' _Yugi thought before looking back to them. "What did you do to the dice! There can't be a possible chance for two super criticals in a row!" Yugi yelled and Bakura only laughed at him again. "The dice don't lie, little Yugi..." he said as Honda's soul left him and was sealed into his miniature. From the board, Zorc laughed as he watched Honda become part of the game literally.

"Honda!" Jou and Zella called. Honda growled. "No...I wasn't afraid! Believe me! I wasn't afraid of him!" he said. Yugi looked back down to the board and then back towards Bakura, anger flowing in his aura strongly. Bakura gazed back at him, fear not evident in his features. "Well, Yugi, you're the only one left! Now you alone must roll the dice and move the pieces! Think you can handle that all or would you like to give up and become a miniature so you can be with your friends?" Bakura asked and Yugi sneered.

"And don't forget, Bakura, if the character's HP hits 0, they will die!" Crimson spoke and Bakura nodded. "Oh yes, can't forget that little rule. If they die in the game, they will die in the real world!" he said, laughing again and Yugi gasped. _'No! I can't risk my friends' lives but I have to play the game in order to win! But what if I fail? I can't risk that.'_ he clenched in eyes shut in disdain. "What can I do?" he whispered. "Join the game with your friends. We'll deal with these two." Aqua said from the shadows. Yugi turned and seeing them there, he smiled.

"The battle continues, Yugi! The Magic Gunman gets one more chance to attack Zorc! Throw the dice and let see what you can do!" Bakura called and Yugi glanced back at him. "Fine! But before that Bakura, I have just one request!" he said, determination glowing in his eyes. "Transfer my soul into the miniature as well!" His words shocked Bakura and Crimson. "Do you have any idea what you're doing? If you transfer your soul into your miniature, no one will be able to roll the dice and you'll lose automatically!" Crimson said.

"Yugi! What are you doing!" Jou called and Yugi looked down to him. He nudged his head slightly to the shadows and they looked to see glimmering cerise and crimson glaring at Bakura and Crimson who still didn't know they were there. _'Yami and Aqua made it! Now I see what Yugi is up to!'_ Jou thought. "I know that but I'm going to fight by their side if they're planning to fight for me!" Yugi said. "If they're willing to put their lives on the line, so will I!"

Bakura saw he wasn't bluffing and nodded. "Fine then! So be it! A Game Master is to be of service to the players and if that's what you want then I will grant your wish!" he said and sealed Yugi's soul into his miniature. "With this, it's game over for you all!" he said before his eyes widened as he felt another presence of demon magic that he nor Crimson sensed before. _'What is this? There can possibly be another demon...unless...the people Yugi was talking about...'_ Bakura gasped and looked up just to see Yami and Aqua on the other side, eyes showing death as they stood around Yugi's soulless form protectively.

_'Yami and Aqua are the demon spirits of the Sennen Puzzle! And they already have a full form like we want! No fair!'_ Bakura thought venomously. Yami took the dice and glanced back at them. "As you said, we were in the middle of a battle, weren't we? I'm rolling for them all but not before Aqua joins in on this game!" he said and with a roar, Aqua was enveloped in smoke that floated down to the board and a figurine of him as an Illusionist was there. Once the transfer was done, Yami rolled the dice in favor of the Magic Gunman. The result was 03 and Honda shot a Thunder Grenade at Zorc's left hand, blowing it off easily.

Zorc roared in anguish and Jou grinned. "Great job, Honda! You got him!"

"I told you, Horn Face! I'm not scared of you and with my friends here, who needs to be!" he said. Bakura growled in anger, fangs clenched together. _'I wasn't expecting this to happen but no matter! They will die and we will claim our prize! The Sennen Puzzle will be ours soon enough!'_ he thought.

"Don't worry, everyone! Your lives are in my hands! And as of now...so is Zorc's!" he said, glancing back at Bakura and Crimson with a smug look and they growled.

"You think you can win this? Then let's just see if you can! The clash of our power and skill is starting now and we won't lose to another demon!" Bakura growled, eyes narrowing to slits as more of his demon form showed.

0

Zypher; There! All finished! And I combined both duel 52 and 53 of Millennium Enemy to make the chapter longer. Anyways, Yami and Aqua are here and ready to defeat Bakura and Crimson at their own game! The suspense won't be for long for the next chapter will be here soon! And remember, last kiriban is at 175 reviews! Tell me if you catch it and for those that haven't made them, I'll be willing to use any ideas you have to become a short epilogue at the end of this story! Send in those ideas of you have them either in your review or by a PM! For now, I'll bid you adieu!


	38. The Traps of Zorc's Castle

Zypher: And here's the next battle filled chapter of Yami no Game: Death's Awakening! Glad you all enjoyed the last chapter and for Shinigami, all questions will be answered in the last epilogue, if anyone is planning to give me any of their ideas for epilogues if they have any. Anyways, hope you enjoy.

0

Yami no Game: Death's Awakening

Chapter 38

0

"Nice shooting!" Jou cheered.

"Thanks!" Honda said. Yugi smiled to them before looking up to Yami. _'Please, Yami. I know you can win. You won every game and I know that Bakura and Crimson won't win.'_ he thought. Pokii looked between the two, wondering how they looked so similar but decided to think of Yami as another master. "So close and then _you_ arrived. You will pay for making me lose the chance to gain the Sennen Puzzle." Bakura hissed.

"We'll see about that. Let's continue on with this game." Yami hissed back.

"From now on, you will throw the dice and control the entire adventuring team! But know this, if the players lose all their hit points, so will their souls and bodies!" Bakura said, glaring at him. "I can't die looking like this!" Honda said fearfully. "I think looks won't matter in death, Honda!" Zella reprimanded. "But we know that Yami can win and save us all! And we have Aqua here on our side so we can't lose!" she continued.

"It's a new round! The battle continues!" Bakura said as he looked down to the board.

"Although Zorc lost his hand when his guard was down...he actually looks almost uninjured! You could even say things have gotten worse for the adventurers..." After saying this, Zorc's hand started to deform and mutate, catching the others attention. "Oh no! Zorc's hand is mutating!" Yugi spoke in fear as the hand split into two monsters.

/"Any piece of flesh cut from my body becomes a monster under my command!"/ Zorc said darkly. /"Pokii! (Zorc is the source of all darkness!) Pokii! (He will continue to spawn monsters until you snuff out his evil life once and for all!)"/ Pokii spoke frantically to Yugi.

The dragon monster turned to Zorc, giving a evil laugh. /"Leave them to us, Master Zorc!"/ It spoke and he gave a curt nod. /"Very well! Kill them!"/ Zorc commanded as he turned away. "Running away, Zorc! Why don't you fight us here!" Yugi demanded. Zorc turned back to him.

/"I have a special place prepared for our duel! Make your way to my castle with the fires of hatred still burning within your heart! If you can make it that is!"/ he said with a laugh as he flew off, the lapels of his cape fluttering in the wind like wings. "Zorc takes flight and disappears towards the castle." Bakura said.

"We'll get to Zorc's castle no matter what it takes!" Jou snarled. "You're going down! I tell you! Down!"

/This is what Bakura wants. He wants us to follow Zorc and probably die within the castle./ Yugi told Yami. /He's a strong game master to watch out for if he could trap people into his games. Especially when he can always get criticals everytime he rolls the dice. There might be a chance we can't win./

/Don't think that way, koi. We will win and I'll save you and your friends from the fate these two low-down demons placed you into./ Yami replied. "Warrior! It your turn to attack!" Bakura said from across the table. "Alright! I'm ready for this! Let me at 'im, Yami!" Yami nodded and threw the dice with a flick of the wrist and Bakura gasped as he saw the dice spinning on the tips. "Remember, if you get a fumble, they will die and who knows the chance of you doing so with a technique like that!" he hissed but his eyes widened as Yami gained a super critical.

Jou jumped towards the one-eyed monster slashed it in half. "Energetic Slash demolished the warrior's opponent!" Yami said with a chuckle. "That was amazing!" Honda congratulated and Jou pouted. "Hey, what about me?" he questioned before giving up and looking up to Bakura. "Hey! Let's get moving! What happens next after I killed that monster?"

Bakura sneered in anger and looked towards Crimson who was typing, a dark look in his eyes. "Seeing his companion slain by the warrior, the other monster hesitated and loses his next action!" he said and Bakura slammed his fists on the table. "Fine! Beast Tamer! It's your turn!" Yugi nodded and looked to the dragon. _'I need to make as many monster allies as I can before we reach Zorc's castle! He pretty strong and would make a good ally.'_ Yugi thought. "I'm capturing you!" said and Yami nodded in agreement.

Crimson typed in more info before looking down to the board. "Until a few moments ago, Zorc Arm Dragon was a part of Zorc himself! The potential to brainwash him in a very low 10 percent! Let's see if your dear friend can make it!" Crimson said, looking back up with a smirk.

"I believe in him!" Yugi said in determination and Yami smiled down to him before rolling the dice in the same fashion as before. The red die landed on 8 and Bakura grinned darkly. _'With the red die being 8, he'll never control that beast...What!'_ Was his shocked thought as the other die hit the red die and changed the roll.

"As you can see, one of the many ways of cheating with dice is the double hit! The same class as your "run of criticals" Bakura!" Yami said with a smug look and Bakura growled, baring his teeth. "You will pay for this. I won't let you win this game!" Yami only glanced at him again as the dice came to a stop.

"We'll see about that." he said as Bakura looked down to the result and roared in anger. The result was 02 which meant that Yugi's Hand Power can brainwash the monster. "Go! Magic Training Hand!" he said as the two hands appeared and wrapped around the monster and after a while, a nicer form of the dragon came out and flew beside Yugi.

Yugi smiled as he looked to him along with Pokii. /"Pokii! (Today is a fresh start for you! Try your best!)"/

The dragon nodded. /"Paooo! (I know! I'll fight for my new master all the way!)"/

Bakura's claws were leaving bloody welts in his palms as he clenched them together tightly._ 'I can't believe he knows of the double hit trick...at this rate, I'll probably lose the game and my sweet prince's new friends and he won't like that.'_ he thought. Jou looked up to Bakura with a glare.

"So, this whole time this guy was cheating?" he seethed before turning back to look at Yami. "Yami! Is it true you can control the roll of the dice?" he asked and Yami nodded as he explained the situation to them. "I see now! When you spin the dice like a top, even side face up, that will help the result not be an odd number! And not only that, your chances of rolling a 0 is one in five!"

"But will the dice hit each other when you want them to?" Zella asked and Yami shook his head. "No, you control the path of the stronger spinning die by moving the surface in some way. By shaking the table with your knee for example. With this technique, you can change the number on the die as many times as you like." Yami said. Bakura sneered again as Yami gave another smirk towards him. "Too bad for you. Your cheating won't work against me."

"Ok then. From now on, this is how we roll the dice. We let the dice slide from our hands. Spinning is prohibited."

"I'll agree to that."

"Bakura! Next time you cheat, you should turn into a miniature too!" Bakura didn't bother to acknowledge him. "On with the game! After taking care of Zorc's servants and gaining a new ally, the adventurers continue onwards...to the gates of Zorc's castle!" Bakura spoke. "Let's go guys!" Yugi said as they finally reached the castle. _'I've stopped Bakura run of criticals and this is where the real fight will start!'_ Yami thought. _'Everyone lives is riding on the dice. I'll have to win this game without fail or else I'll lose them.'_

Jou turned to look back to the others. "We're finally about to enter Zorc's castle! Is everyone ready for this?" Jou asked. They nodded and Pokii floated to Yugi's side. /"Pokii! (Be careful! There are traps set for you and your friends in the castle!)"/ Pokii spoke and he nodded. "Ok! We'll be careful, Pokii!" he said in response. "No need to worry about what's waiting, we have Yami and Aqua on our side!" Jou said. "We can trust him to help us out of any of those traps!"

Bakura chuckled quietly despite his anger towards Yami. _'...It's easy to say you can do it...but lets test that gaming skill and see if you have what it takes to save your friends and defeat Zorc!'_ he thought as the gate started to open. Once it hit the ground, they moved up as the castle opened up to reveal the interior of the castle. "Now at last, the adventurers goal lies before them! The drawbridge lowers, leading them to the final stage of their journey." he said as they entered the castle. "Somewhere in the castle waits Zorc! Can the group find of heroes find him...and slay the demon?"

"Hey, Zorc! Where are you hiding! Come out and fight us!" Jou shouted Honda looked around before spotting the tower off to the side. "Hey, that tower look suspicious!" he pointed out and they started making their way towards it. "Let's see if there's anything inside!" Yugi spoke as they all headed inside.

"I wonder what this pedestal is? Those marks must have some meaning." Aqua said as he examined the pedestal._ 'He's right about that. Those marks do looks suspicious...especially with what look like the upper part his missing...!' _The idea finally clicked into place and he gasped. "Wait! Don't go in there!" he called but it was too late.

From above, a large ceiling with spikes on the bottom fell towards them. It made impact and they all were now stuck beneath it with no way to escape. "The adventurers have fallen into a trap...but don't worry! Instant death traps are the tools of an amateur game master! True game masters prolong the pain and torture as long as possible! I'll give you a chance to save them, Yami!" Bakura said with a smirk, knowing that even he can't figure out the puzzle before the lead figure finally break under the weight of the ceiling and kill them all.

"Bakura! You snake!" Yami snarled.

Bakura's smirk only widened. "I'll tell you this, I know the breaking point of my lead figures. They can hold out for just a little longer including when your friend Aqua turned himself into a figure! You have three turns! In other words, three rolls of the dice, Yami! If you fail, your friends die!" he said before laughing. "Here's the puzzle! To save your friends, you must create the column to support the ceiling! However, to do that, you must roll a certain number on the dice!"

Yami thought about this and they shouted encouragement to him to roll a critical. He rolled the dice and the result was 04 and they cheered but the center piece of the pillar didn't appear. "Too bad! You may have rolled a critical but I said you need a "certain number"! Here's a hint, they have to be doubles!" Bakura said. Yami took a glance back as the carvings, knowing they must be a hint but knew he had to figure this out fast or else everyone's lives will be lost. Crimson gave a deadly smirk as he looked up to Yami from the laptop.

"That reminds me...it's time for a monster encounter roll to see if Zorc appears! There's a 30 percent chance that he will come out of hiding!" he said before turning to Bakura. "Bakura, if you will." he said and Bakura grinned as he held the dice in hand. "Gladly." Bakura answered before rolling the dice. Yami snarled, knowing that if Zorc shows up, they will be dead and gone for sure. The result was 28 and Bakura laughed. "The worse possible number for the adventurers!" he spoke as Zorc appeared in front of them, laughing darkly.

/"You fools fell straight into my trap! Prepare yourselves for I'll cut you to shreds while the trap holds your corpses in place!"/ he rumbled. "No fair! That low! Fight fair, Zorc!" Yami's eyes narrowed as he rolled the dice, knowing he has to save everyone quickly or else they'll die by Zorc's hand instead of the trap.

It landed on 13 and he seethed mentally. The others grunted as the ceiling crushed them even more. "I can't hold out much longer..." Honda grounded. "Don't think your torture ends there! Zorc can attack now and he has an attack success rate of 95 percent since his targets can't move!" Bakura said with maniacal glee as he rolled the dice and the result came up as 41.

"Hmm...not the best number but it good for a slow and painful death!" he said as Zorc made his attack, lowering Yugi's HP to 13 and Jou's HP to 15 since they were the ones exposed in the opening of the tower. _'Come on, Yami...you have on last chance...even with spikes in our heads, we believe in you!'_ Jou thought.

Yami looked down to the and then back to the carvings. _'Wait...I think I have it now. The only numbers that can match the carvings are 0-3-6-8-9. The other number won't work at all at this point.'_ he thought before he rolled the dice. "Let this roll count for something! Everyone's faith is on these dice!" he said.

The dice rolled to a stopped and ended up as 33. Yami looked to the dice anxiously. _'Is that it? The correct number?'_ he wondered in fear and anticipation. in the trap, the other were starting to feel like they were going to collapse but soon, the center portion of the pillar came into view and lifted the spiked ceiling from their heads.

"Great! I found the solution just in time!" he said happily but Bakura only gave a short laugh. "You may have found the solution but...in that same instant, Zorc gets another attack." Bakura spoke as he rolled the dice. "And the result is 12! Not a good number! Zorc, strike them again!"

/"I'll slice through all of you! Tower, pillar and figures all at once! Demon Hand Blade!" he roared as he slashed at the tower, slicing it in half and the figures. Bakura laughed in triumph. "They're dead! You lose the game, Yami!" he said. "Not quite. Do you forget exactly who one of my players are?" Yami said. "Duh. You have a Warrior, a Beast Tamer, a Magic Gunman, a Magician and a...oh no!" Crimson said in realization as the sliced figures disappeared and the real players were now behind Zorc.

"You forgotten that Aqua is an Illusionist and with them all having high speed, they escaped from the trap and to fool Zorc, he left illusions of the adventurers in the trap." Yami explained. "And by taking Zorc's back, they get a surprise attack!" he said before rolling the dice. They showed 15 and Zorc took a mighty blow from the warrior. _'Bakura, I'll show you what power we have as a team! No one dares threatens my friends and gets away with it!'_

Zorc roared in anger and Aqua smirked. "Are you ready, Zorc? This is only the start of your defeat!" Aqua said, glaring towards the hulking king of darkness.

0

Zypher: Here's the end of this chapter! Now we're getting to the major battle now! And I also have some news. I started up a new story which is another one of my famous crossovers, this time with The Lion King. Why...this is what happens when you listen to the same song from the movie more than once and it compelled me to start writing it up but I couldn't get it posted up today because of the new story setup having some problem which wouldn't let me choose the category for the story.

And since I worry about flamers coming to get me for the plot, since the story will be yaoi like all others, I will ask you now. Would you like me to post up The Demon King Saga (a saga since I'll be writing up crossovers of The Lion King 1, 1/2 and The Lion King 2) or just forget about it to save me alot of torment? Tell me in your reviews while I get working on the next chapter for this story. See you soon.


	39. We'll Fight Too!

Zypher: Another day, another chapter for you all! Glad you enjoyed the last chapter and I hope you'll enjoy this one as well.

Note to Shinigami: Yes, I know she isn't that bad in the manga and I agree with those that prefer her over Tea in the anime but I'm not going into something that will probably lead into an argument that I really on't want to get into. As days went by when I got into writing fanfiction, I start to gradually dislike her and that hasn't changed no matter how nice and friendly she is. Again, hopefully this won't give you a reason to stop reading my stories, which I'll understand as long as I don't get a flame for it, but I just can't see Tea/Anzu as one of my favorite characters in the Yugioh series anymore like I did when I started watching the anime in the first place.

If I could, I would've used Tea's name instead of Anzu but it sorta stuck when I start to write my own stories. As for the story, since I'm doing two scenes for each chapter, the next one will be the last of the battle between Yami and Bakura and then there's the epilogue and that will pretty much be all unless readers wants to send in their own ideas for an epilogue and then I'll get working on the sequel but the start of it depends if I can get the first and second volume of the Yugioh Duelist manga. If I can't get them at least by today or tomorrow then the sequel might be delayed for a bit.

0

Yami no Game: Death's Awakening

Chapter 39

0

Zorc groaned in pain as he glared at them but they knew he wasn't down for the count yet. As of now, Jou had 15 HP, Zella 18, Yugi 13, Honda 23 and Aqua 25. Zorc, being at Level 15, which they don't know of, had a good 205 HP left. "He may be stronger than us so it will take a while for us to defeat him but I know we can! Don't let down on your attacks!" Aqua said and they nodded. "As you said earlier, each gets a surprise attack, got it? Roll the dice!" Bakura said, still seething in anger but didn't let it show as much as it did before.

"Alright then!" Yami said and Honda stepped up. "Let me kill him! I'll never forgive you in a million years for what you did, Bakura!" Honda said with anger and Yami clenched the dice in his hand, streams of shadow power rising from it. "Hear that, Bakura? My powers channels their anger into these dice and that will help me get results that I like!" he said before rolling the dice. The result came up 09 and Bakura snarled. _'Another critical! This isn't happening! I will not lose!'_ he thought as Honda shot a Thunder Grenade at Zorc, putting a hole through his chest.

Yami rolled the dice again for Zella's turn and the dice showed 13. "Apprentice Death Blaze!" she called as a large ball of magic hit Zorc's chest. "And now, the final blow!" The dice hit the field and rolled to a stop on 08. "Go! Beast Attack!" Yugi called and both of his monsters went to attack Zorc.

_'What is he doing! He gets another critical and yet isn't using his demon magic to help him gain those results!'_ he thought, a shocked and angry glint still in his eyes. Jou saw this and smirk. "Getting scared now, Bakura? Yami told you the answer to his criticals! Our souls are channeled into his dice from his powers! When we get mad...the dice get angry!"

Bakura's eyes closed halfway and he smirked, chuckling. As the smoke cleared, Zorc stood there, unharmed but the wound in his chest showed visibly. "What! After all those attacks, he hasn't taken any real damage!" Jou spoke frantically. Bakura chuckled more as he looked down to them. "Fools! You all are still apprentices, level one adventurers! You don't have enough experience to defeat Zorc! Everything will end at the hand of Zorc and there's nothing any of you can do!"

"B-But all those criticals hits! That can't be true!" Honda said. "If it is then there's possibly no chance of us winning!"

/"Pokiii! (That's low and dirty!)"/ Pokii said angrily.

"Are you calling me unfair now? Cowardly perhaps? As the Dark Master, I made everything in this game world! I am the rules! I am the monsters! I am the god of everything on this field!" Yami snarled in anger as he listened to this. _'So, he rigged the game from the start so that even I couldn't win at their expense.'_

"Now! Continue the battle! At least when your deaths comes, you can act it out gracefully!" Bakura said with a smirk. _'You may have stopped my run of criticals...but like you, I have ways that will earn my victory...secret ways.'_ He took a glance to Crimson and he nodded as he took out the hidden drawer under the table that held soul-captured figurines.

To the bottom left corner sat two dice but they weren't ordinary dice. _'I've sealed every one of my little prince's former friends into lead figures...each has their own scenario in the game I created...but I'm not always limited to just lead figures...with my power over the Sennen Ring, I can seal a soul into anything!'_

He took the dice and glanced back at Yami with a deadly smirk. "You've had your turn-now Zorc gets his! In anger, Zorc turn his full wrath on the adventurers!" he said as he rolled the dice. The dice came to a stop on 00, making Yami gasp, and he grinned. "Go Zorc Black Magic! Dark Catastrophe!" Zorc roared in anger and gathered a giant ball of energy into his hand before slamming it towards the ground which shot out into a giant shockwave, throwing everyone clear from him. _'No! Not after everything they went through just to get here...don't leave me, Yugi...I can't bear to lose you and what little friends I have in this world...'_

Bakura gave a laugh as he looked to the board. "Zorc's magical attack has the immense power to kill any character...even those with more than 50 hit points! They're all dead now and there's not a thing you can do to save them..." Bakura whispered. "No...no...I can't lose them..." Yami whispered as he looked down to the lead figure that held his friends and his lover's souls but they eyes were dulled to nothing and not one made any movement to show they were alive.

"It's probably pointless but I'll let Crimson calculate their status on their computer. There can be so many variables in this game. It's safest to let the computer do the work that tells the bad news." Bakura said as he looked to Crimson who was already typing in the information.

"I'll input the data of Zorc's attack power, the die roll, the character's defense, hit points, damage...the end result of this will be what remains of the characters' hit points. It doesn't matter really, I'm sure that it will be less than zero." he said as the computer finished the work and he gasped in shock. "No way!" he exclaimed with a snarl and Bakura looked to him. "What's wrong?" he asked. Crimson leaned over to him. "They all still have one hit point left." he whispered and Bakura growled. "Check it again! That can't be right!" he hissed.

Everyone started to get up albeit shakily and Yami smiled. "Oh I'm so glad to see you all alive." he said. /Sorry to worry you, Yami. I thought we were goners myself but that would've meant that you and Aqua would've been sent back to the puzzle since the puzzle is without the bearer and I definitely don't want that./ Yugi spoke through the link. /I can't bear to lose you. You are my lover, my everything. If you die then I'll have nothing to live for and I just would've ended my life before I could be sent back to the puzzle and I know the same would apply to Aqua./

_'This can't be right! Zorc is stronger than them and should've killed them! How could they...?'_ He turned back to Crimson who snarled in anger. He looked down to the computer and realized his left hand is typing by itself. /I'm not going to let you kill them. They're our friends and we'll fight by their side. We will right all the wrongs you did in our lives and for everyone else lives that you two ruined./ Was what was written on the screen.

_'Can it be...that both our souls are linked to Zorc in the miniature game world! It's impossible but it's real! With Zorc's left hand gone, Diamond must be controlling Crimson's left hand! She must've emerged even when he locked her deep down!'_ Bakura thought.

"Go!" Yami said as he rolled the dice and it landed on 05. Jou jumped up and stabbed Zorc's left eye, gaining a guttural shriek from the shadow lord and Bakura hissed as he shut his left eye as the wound was inflicted. "It's not over yet! I will win this and free not only my friends and my lover but Ryou and Diamond as well!" Yami stated. Jou landed back next to his friends and grinned. "That had to hurt!" he said, flicking the blood of his blade. Bakura snarled lowly. "You're making me mad..." he hissed.

_'We were nice enough to let you play in our world...and you little ingrates repay us by rebelling again the master! I was going to let you live as part of Monster World as miniatures but not anymore! You have made me mad enough and now it's time to die! I'll bury you all in eternal night!'_ Bakura thought and then turned back to Crimson who's left hand was again typing another message from Diamond by itself. /I won't let you control me and Ryou! We're going to help our friends strike you both down!/

_'You say this but what can you do with only one hand!'_ he thought again. "Here! Give me the computer! Ryou hasn't taken over me yet so that will make them powerless." Bakura said and Crimson handed him the computer. Yami watched them and started to wonder. _'Bakura's expression changed when he looked at the results on the data...what could be going on?'_ he pondered. _'But in any case, that could be the key into defeating Zorc!'_

"Alright! Back to the game! The Warrior strikes a perfect hit! His sword took out Zorc's left eye however, Zorc's hit points are only lowered a fraction."

Jou groaned. "This sucks! No matter how many criticals we get, we still can do any real damage to him!"

"Jou's right! His defenses are too good! We're only at Level 1 and he's probably at a level surpassing our own." Zella spoke up. "How can we defeat Zorc?"

_'We'll figure out a way. First off, we need to heal everyone fast or else they won't survive another attack made by Zorc. Zella should be able to use her magic next turn but the worse can be if Zorc attacks before she can go...'_ Yami thought. "Now, according to initiative scores...Zella's magician goes next." Bakura spoke and everyone below cheered, knowing that they will be saved. "Don't get happy just yet! Zorc's score is tied with Zella's which means they both will go at the same time! In this case, the first attack will be determined by a die roll! Is that fair enough for you, Yami?" He only nodded mutely.

"Let's go, then!" They both rolled the dice, knowing the fate of Yugi and his friends resides on this die roll. _'Victory is mine! These dice with the soul I sealed inside will always roll a super critical no matter what!'_ Bakura said. The white die on Bakura's side landed on 0 and the other was still spinning, getting close to stopping on another 0. Bakura laughed in sadistic glee. "A super critical! I win!" he said, surprising everyone. "No...this can't be happening..." Yugi whispered as he took a glance at Yami's die roll and saw it was 09.

"This game is over! Prepare yourselves! Zorc moves faster than Zella and raises his claw to attack and-" he stopped when he heard Yami laugh under his breath. "What's so funny...?" he demanded. "Are you blind in more than one eye, Bakura? Take a good look at your own roll!" he said, pointing down to the dice. Both he and Crimson looked down to the board and saw that the roll indeed wasn't a super critical, but a result of 10. _'Impossible! That can't be...'_

"Like you said, the dice don't lie!" Yami said and Zella smiled. "Great! I can use my magic first! Healing Magic of Luona!" she said as a bright light engulfed them and they were all restored to full hit points. Bakura took a glance at the dice in his hands. _'So that's it...these weren't my brainwashed dice but the ordinary ones...'_ he thought before glancing back down at them with his only open eye. "Big whoop for you all but compared to Zorc, your hit points won't matter! On his next turn, you'll all be blown away into nothing by Zorc's attack! Get ready!" he said.

"Zorc hits on a roll of 80 or less! And if he hits, then all of you will take damage!" he said and was about to throw the dice when another set was thrown instead. _'What the...? Those are the brainwashed dice!'_ he thought and looked to Crimson who was holding his left arm to keep it from moving on its own. _'Diamond must've grabbed the brainwashed dice! She was hiding them the whole time and we didn't notice!'_ he thought as he looked down to the result of his dice roll and gaped. "99! A fumble!"

Zorc let loose the magic he gathered but it exploded on himself, taking a chunk from his hit points. Crimson snarled in anger as he continued to hold his hand. "Blasted left hand! Quit manipulating me, Diamond!" he hissed. They looked to him, wondering what he meant but gasped as he saw him biting down on his own hand, fangs digging deep into his flesh and blood welling up.

"Yes! Yes! How does that feel, Diamond! How does the fangs of an angry demon feel digging deep through your flesh and any movement meaning it can rip your flesh clear from your hand!" Bakura said, laughing maniacally.

_'It can't be...! He just said Diamond's name...can that mean that she has something to do with that roll since it was Crimson who seemingly threw the dice.'_ Yami thought. Yugi and the others flinched at their expressions.

"Man! Look at their expressions!"

"They both look terrible, and even more sadistic! I'm almost sorry that I hit him in the face!" Jou stated.

_'How can such terrible spirits take over Ryou and Diamond? They were so nice and yet have such deadly beings hiding within them. They are good but they kept this secret so no one would get hurt! That must be why all those people are in comas! It's all because of them!'_ Yugi thought and growled. Crimson smirked as he let go of his hand and licked to blood from his mouth. "Next is Beast Tamer Yugi! It's your turn!" he said, still smirking.

Yugi turned to Yami and he looked down to him. They both had the same idea and Yami turned his gaze back to Bakura and Crimson. "Bakura! The Beast Tamer will try his Training Hand Power on Zorc!" Yami said. _'We've finally figured it out! Our real friends are trapped within Zorc!'_ Yami though. "What! Your "Training Hand Power" won't do a thing to Zorc! It's a useless effort and Zorc would never become an ally...not even if it meant the end of the world as we know it!" Bakura said.

"I'm trying anyway! Here's my roll!" he said as he let the dice make their roll. It came out 05 and the training hands appeared. /"Fools! You'll have to raise you level to a million before you can even think of making me into your ally!"/ Zorc rumbled with a deep, mocking laugh. /"You'll...what!"/ He paused in his gloating as he saw smoke rising from his left arm. "Hey! Look at Zorc's arm!" Zella exclaimed. Bakura saw this as well and was wondering the same. _'What is he up to this time!'_ Bakura snarled mentally.

The training hand reached as the smoke showed someone and soon caught hold of the person. _'No! A person is appearing from Zorc's arm! Can it be...!'_ Bakura thought in rising shock. The person grabbed hold of the training hand and it tugged him along with a second person from Zorc's arm. It deposited him in front of Yugi and he smiled.

"You're the real Ryou and Diamond, right?" he asked and they nodded. "Thank you everyone for saving the both of us...we're the White Magicians Ryou and Diamond. We're non-playable characters created by Ryou and Diamond but please, let us join your party so we can defeat Zorc once and for all!"

"Of course!" Zella said happily and Jou grinned.

"This is great! We've got new allies!"

_'White Magicians...created by Ryou and Diamond! When did this happen!'_ Bakura thought but still thinks that they can't do anything to Zorc. He grunted in anger and looked to Yami again. "It's still your turn. The Magic Gunman goes next!" he said and Yami made his roll again and it stopped at 15. Honda shot a bullet at Zorc's side and he roared in unbridled pain, a large hole being made after the blast.

"Wow! That hurt him a lot more than it did before!" Jou spoke and Diamond turned to him. "As non-playable characters, we obey the will of our other game master, Ryou. I thought it might help if we lowered Zorc's defenses with some white magic!" she said and Yami smiled. "Thank you." She smiled back and Bakura roared in anger.

"You're not going to get away with this! I will win this battle and whether or not our masters help, you five will be killed for ruining everything!" Bakura said in anger as he glared down at Yugi, Zella, Jou, Honda and Aqua.

0

Zypher: And we're winding down to the last few moments of the story. Glad you all stuck with me so far and I hope you all loved this chapter. Next chapter will be coming soon so you won't need to wait long. See you later.


	40. The Last Die Roll

Zypher: And here we are, the second to last chapter so enjoy this final battle-filled chapter for you all and glad you have enjoyed this story so much.

Note to Shinigami (I'm having fun with these now XP): Thanks for telling me that. I just worry that if I explained the reason why I hate Tea/Anzu to someone, they may try to start an argument with me about her not being all that bad and all that mess but then that would defeat the purpose of said person reading my stories.

Don't worry, I know where to find them, I just have to get out the house so I can get them. -laughs- I rarely leave my house and getting someone to drive me down to a Waldenbooks or Borders bookstore is so rare but I'll be getting them Thursday when my father comes to pick me up. And the link should be working, if not, please send me your email and I'll give you the link since it's working fine.

0

Yami no Game: Death's Awakening

Chapter 40

0

_'I can't believe how these two non-playable characters can thwart my plans so much. If I don't do something quickly, Zorc will be defeated!'_ Bakura thought. _'No matter what you do, you will never defeat the dark master!'_

Yami knew that Zorc must have more tricks hidden away and made sure to keep everyone's guard up. _'Cause just one slip of their guard and they will die.'_ he thought. Zorc gave a roar and soon, started to shift and mutate. _'This is bad! Zorc's transforming!'_ Ryou thought and they watched in horror as Zorc became Last Zorc.

Last Zorc gave menacing laugh and Bakura grinned darkly. "This is Zorc's final form! Attack and defense level up while he's in this form!" Bakura said as he held the dice. "And now, it's time for Zorc's long awaited attack. The one that will kill you all!"

Yami gasped in fear. _'No...he concentrating all his energy into Zorc's attack! There's no way how we can survive this one!'_ he thought and both Ryou and Diamond worried for everyone's safety. _'And we have no time to raise everyone defenses.'_ Ryou thought. Bakura gave a smirk as he rolled the dice and they ended up as 00.

"No! Not a super critical!" Yami shouted and Bakura laughed. "Yes! A super critical! This is the end for them! Go, Zorc Inferno!" Bakura commanded and Zorc gave a roar of confirmation. A hole opened up on his chest, showing a large eye as it gathered with energy.

Soon the blast came and both Ryou and Diamond stood in front of the group. "Ready, Ryou?" He nodded and they both raised their staffs. "White Magic! Shining Shield Level 13!" They both called and a wall of shining light appeared in front of the group, blocking Zorc's attack but it still beat down on the shield harshly. "How long will your shield last, little magician?" Bakura taunted. "Hang in there, everyone!" Diamond called. _'But at this rate, we'll run out of magic points to hold the barrier.'_ she thought. "Ryou, we will run out of magic points if this goes on." she stated and he nodded.

"We will have to convert our hit points to magic points." he spoke and she nodded and they started to convert their hit points into magic points to hold the shield up longer. The attack finally came a halt and they all sighed in relief. "The attack's over...is everyone alright?" Yugi asked and they nodded but then he transfixed his gaze to Ryou and Diamond who were kneeling on the ground. "Ryou! Diamond!" he said with worry. "Are you ok?" They nodded as Diamond stood up shakily. "We're fine...Zella...if you have enough magic points to heal us, focus all that on Zorc this turn!" she said.

"She's right. We don't have enough points to block another attack. If you don't finish him off this turn, we will all be destroyed." Ryou spoke. Yami was appalled at hearing this but he nodded along with the others. They glared back at Zorc, determined to finish him once and for all. "It's time to hack and slash! Zorc's is going down this turn!" Jou said and they nodded in agreement. /But what I want to know is that if Zorc's attack and defense raised when he became Last Zorc, why didn't he do it before?/ Yugi questioned.

/Because, this is Zorc's last gamble. We pushed him and Bakura so far that he had no choice. He may have raised his attack and defense but he was unaware that he has gone and revealed his weak point to us./ Aqua told him and Yugi looked to Zorc' seeing the opening with the eye still exposed. "Hey, there's Zorc's weak point!" he said, pointing to the eye of Zorc.

But to their fear, the hole started to close. "It too late! It will sealed up before we can counter!" Honda spoke and Pokii started to become angry that as far as his master and friends gotten, they were about to lose everything. _'It too late for you all. It may have sent a chill down my spine that your figured out Zorc's Achilles Heel but when that opening closes, I will have nothing to fear and on my next turn, I'll destroy you!' _he thought.

But the thing he wasn't expecting was Pokii rushing in and lodging itself into the hole, preventing the opening from closing. "No!" he screeched in anger. /"Pokii! (This is your chance! Blow him away along with me!)"/ he told them. _'It was fun being with you all...you all were wonderful friends...goodbye.'_ Pokii thought. /"Pokii! (Do it now!)"/ he cried out. "Thank you, Pokii..." Jou whispered. _'But it's not too late!'_ he thought. "We won't sacrifice a friend we fought alongside! The soul of a evil being isn't worth a speck of the life of our friends!"

Yami clenched the dice in his hand, giving a smile down to Pokii and he smiled back but knew it was impossible since he was caught now. "The beast tamer attacks!" Yami said and Yugi stepped forward. _'Pokii! Just wait! I'll save you!'_ Yugi thought as Yami rolled the dice and it landed on 02, a critical.

"Go Training Hand! Jet Stream Punch!" Yugi called as one of the training hands appeared and with a punch as fast a a bullet, it went right through Zorc's weak spot and came back out holding Pokii. "Great job, Yugi! You got him right in his weak spot!" Zella said happily.

Zorc roared in anguish and Bakura winced, also feeling the pain of the attack. "Now it the warrior's turn!" Yami spoke as he rolled the dice again and it was 01. _'This is the final blow!'_ Jou though as he charged in. "Explosive Energetic Slash!" he called, slashing Zorc in half. He top half landed on the ground with a thud and they cheered. "That's it! We did it! We defeated Zorc!"

_'Not yet!'_ Yami realized as Zorc started to get back up, using his arms as leverage. _'I'm not done yet. I still have a card to play!'_ Bakura thought. "The fact that you didn't defeat Zorc on this turn will be your downfall! On the next turn, Zorc and the adventurers must roll for the initiative again!" Bakura said. "This is your last roll! We roll at the same time again and the winner get to go first!"

_'And when I win, I'll have Zorc self-destruct himself and destroy them all! Then they'll all be dead and I will win!'_

"Fine then! I'll take you on but I promise you, I will not lose. This roll means life or death and I'm not losing any of them." Yami hissed, gripping the dice tightly in his hand. _'I will put every spark of faith into these dice...I will win and free them all from your game!'_

"As before, we each throw the dice. This one closest to 00 goes first! And that should be all it takes to finish either the adventurers or Zorc's life! But I warn you, this instant my rolls give Zorc the initiative, he will self-destruct and destroying all of you, I will be victorious in this game! And even if we did roll the same number, we will both die but I will still win either way!" Bakura said before laughing. Crimson only stayed silent, waiting for the results of the roll. _'They put all their faith into me and I now have it! Everyone's faith, everyone's power! I'll channel it all into this die roll!'_ Yami thought.

Bakura was thinking on different terms. _'It's useless to try! You will all die along with Zorc! I may be risking the life of my master but as long as the Sennen Ring still exist, I will still be alive and the same applies to Crimson and the Sennen Gem! I can always use magic to bring them back for I'm not losing him! I will never lose him! _

_'He is mine to keep and he will be by my side forever! But for now, I shall seal a portion of my soul and Crimson's soul into these dice and once the seal's completed, the Dopplerganger Dice will assure my victory!'_ Bakura thought as strands of their souls seeped into each die and once the transfer was completed, Bakura gripped the dice in his hand.

"Alright! Let's finish this once and for all! The roll of life and death will begin!" he said as they both rolled their dice. The dice clattered in the table, each sound leading closer to the death of either or both players. _'Please respond...respond to our faith, our hearts...don't let us lose this battle!'_ Yami pleaded mentally as his dice came to a stop. "Yami's roll is 00! A super critical! There's no way how Bakura can win the initiative now!" Jou said happily.

_'A super critical at such a time...I applaud your skill as a gamer Yami but no matter how hard your try, these dice will roll a super critical 100 percent of the time and that will mean your lives' end no matter what!'_ Bakura though as he dice came to a stop as well and they gasped when they saw the result.

"Not a super critical!" Yami gasped and Bakura laughed. "What a cruel strike for you all! At the moment when you were sure of your victory, it all comes to a halt! You all have truly given me a run for the money but too bad you all will die! This has been one of my best games ever!" he spoke, still laughing. "Now! Just as you leap forward to attack, Zorc blows up, taking you all with h-" he stopped as he saw his dice emanating with a glow before cracks started to appear. _'No! My dice...they're cracking!'_ he thought.

Soon, the wisps of smoke started to form into two people and they all gasped when they saw it was Ryou and Diamond. "We're not losing any more friends! This game will end here and now without anyone but Zorc's death!" Diamond spoke. "Yes...even if it means shattering our souls." Ryou stated and both Bakura and Crimson's eyes widened in fear.

_'No! It can't be! Don't tell me when I seal our souls into these dice, they sent their souls in there as well! They're committing suicide because if they shatter their souls, they can never come back! Not even our magics can restore them!' _Bakura thought.

"No! Don't give your life away!" Bakura yelled, his own heart breaking at the thought of losing him. Ryou turn his gaze away from him and looked to Yami. "Thank you, everyone...for believing in us..." he whispered and with a smile, their souls disappeared just as the dice shattered into pieces.

"Ryou! Diamond!" They called and Bakura gave a roar of pain. "No! I don't want to lose you! Come back, Ryou! _Come back!_" he cried but it was already too late. Yami growled in anger as he looked to the two brokenhearted demons. "You tried your hardest to kill us and you killed your masters instead. Even I won't stoop so low. At least we have learned to love our master and he returns that love. And because of this, you both will pay. No dice, no roll so we can attack! All our anger will be place into these attacks and you will feel the pain of what you did thricefold!" Yami hissed.

"The magician attacks!" he said and Zella nodded. "Go! Final Big Bang!" she called and a large explosion of energy engulf Zorc and he roared in agonizing pain as he was destroyed completely by the blast. Bakura and Crimson roared in anguish as they felt the blow behind done to Zorc inflicted onto them.

"You may have defeated us this time but we will come back! But we best thank you for at least reuniting us with our lost love." Bakura said and with a groan, they both collapsed onto the table, the rope around their necks snapping and causing the ring and gem to fall onto the floor with a clatter.

Their features changed back to normal and Yami quickly got up from his seat and ran over to them. "Ryou? Diamond? Please..wake up..." he whispered but nothing happened. "Yami? Are they alright?" Yugi whispered. Yami lowered his eyes and shook his head. "No...they're gone...they're...dead..." he said. "They sacrificed their souls for us...and now they're gone forever." Zella had tears in her eyes and Aqua walked over to pat her shoulder. "I can't believe they're gone." she cried. "And to think, we only knew them so long." Yugi whispered.

"They're not dead. They're still alive." Ryou spoke and they turned to him and Diamond. "Really? But how?" Honda asked. "Their souls still live inside us. They created us in this world and through their adventures helped us grow. And now, with all that work, we are now Level 13 White Magicians. And now, we can repay them back." Diamond spoke.

"You can do that?" Aqua questioned, in awe at this factor and so was Yami. "Yes. At Level 13, our magic should be strong enough to transfer our souls back into our masters! But we're lead figures in this game world...I can't move without a game master or a player to make the roll." Ryou said, looking up to Yami.

"Make the roll so we can save our masters!"

He smiled and nodded. "I will! I'll roll a critical just for you." he said and Ryou smiled before he turned to look at the group. "Well, the next time we meet, we will be Level 1 White Magicians with no experience." he said.

"No XP! B-But Ryou...!" Honda said. He shook his head. "It's fine. Well...farewell..." he said and Yami made the roll. It landed on 00, the dice responding to the belief that they all had. They all didn't even notices that the crystal hearts that still were with them throughout the game glowed their respective colors as Ryou and Diamond activated their magic.

"Healing magic! Luonazun!" They both called and sparks of light engulfed Ryou and Diamond's form outside the board. After the transfer as done, the lead figures' eyes dulled as Ryou and Diamond opened theirs. They sat up and looked to Yami with a smile.

"Thanks for the help." Diamond whispered and he smiled.

Not only were they restored back, Yugi and the others were also brought back and they all looked down to the board, to the miniatures that once were their bodies. They all looked happy now...at least they seemed that way...

0

A few days later, all of Ryou and Diamond's friends regained consciousness...including Karita-sensei. Yugi, Jou, Zella and Honda ran to their class, Karita spotting them started into a yelling fit. "Hey, you four! Get to class unless you want to get a detention!" he said. "What do you think we're doing!" Jou growled as they ran past him and made it to their class. "Geez! Who does he think got him back to his body!" Jou whined as they stopped into the class and sat in their seats. "He wasn't even good as Villager D." Honda spoke.

Ryou and Diamond walked in, Diamond holding a glass box in her hands. "Ohayou, everyone!" Ryou said happily. "Ohayou, Ryou and Diamond!" They all said back and Yugi looked down to Diamond's left hand. "Hey, you finally got those bandages off. That's great to know! Crimson can really give a nasty bite." Yugi said and she nodded. "But other than that little mishap, we have something to show you all." she said. "Something to show us?" They all questioned and she placed the box down onto the desk. "We made it ourselves..." she said and they all looked at the box.

"Wow! That so cool!" Jou said. "Thanks. It's a diorama of our adventure! A symbol of the friendship that helped us defeat Zorc once and for all." Ryou said and they smiled. "Oh yeah, Yami and Aqua made these for you." Yugi said as he took out two more crystal hearts and handed them to Ryou and Diamond.

"Give them our thanks." Ryou said as he and Diamond placed the hearts around their necks and Ryou's glowed with a shining white light while Diamond glowed with a silver light. They all smiled and talked with one another until class started, the diorama with Yugi, Honda, Yami, Jou, Aqua, Zella, Ryou, Diamond and the monsters that Yugi gained during their Monster World adventure all in a pose.

_Let's go again someday...to Monster World!_

0

Zypher: And that's the end of this chapter. Next is the epilogue and that's it for Yami no Game: Death's Awakening! But don't worry, on Thursday, I'll have volume one and two and I'll get started on the sequel that you all have been waiting for! This is also a last call for any ideas for epilogue ideas if you want them to be written. If not then the next chapter is the last. See you soon.


	41. Epilogue

Zypher: And here we are with the epilogue! I thank each and every one of your for reading and enjoying this story so much! I'm just happy that at least one of my stories have reach 100 review and even more that it's close to 200 reviews. Enjoy the epilogue everyone!

0

Yami no Game: Death's Awakening

Epilogue

0

After the Monster World mishap, everything was peaceful with no threats of danger towards them at all. And to celebrate this moment of peace they had, they all decided to have a day worth of fun. Yugi was already getting dressed while Yami and Aqua stayed downstairs, waiting for him. He bounded down the stairs and over to them with a smile.

"Ready yet?" he asked and they nodded. "We're ready. Do you have everything?" Yami questioned. "Yep! Towels for when we go to the park and to the beach, a extra pair of clothes, packed away some extra food and money for games and such." Yugi said as he placed the duffel bag over his shoulder.

"Ok then. Jou called a few minutes ago and said they were all heading to Domino park now so we should be getting there ourselves. Keara already left and said she will meet us there." Yami said and Yugi nodded. "Can we take the shadow express?" Aqua chuckled but nodded.

"Sure. I never will learn how you came up with that name." Aqua said before they walked over the shadows upon the wall and taking Yugi's hand, he walked through the shadows upon the walls, Yami following behind him. Yugi climbed onto Aqua's back and he along with Yami unfurled their wings and started making their way through towards the park, easily locating it.

0

Jou, Zella, Keara, Ryou, Diamond and Honda waited at the gate for Yami, Yugi and Aqua and saw rippling in the shadows nearby. "There they are." Jou said. Yami, Yugi and Aqua appeared before walking over to them. "Hi everyone!" Yugi called as he ran over to them while the two demons followed behind him at a slower pace. They all talked for a moment before heading into the park.

They headed to the water park first and Jou, Honda, Zella and Yugi played in the water and had fun on the Wonder Slider while Keara, Aqua and Yami sat in the chairs, watching them. "Yugi truly is a magnificent person, isn't he?" Keara whispered and Yami agreed. "Yes and I hope that we will stay together forever with nothing or no one trying to separate us. I don't know what I'll do if something actually takes Yugi away." Yami said. "I'm sure you nor Aqua would search to your fullest to find him if he was to ever be snatched away from your loving arms. And not only that but I will help and punish whoever dare to take Yugi away from you two."

Yami smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Keara."

They sat there for a while longer, watching Yugi, Zella and Honda team up to dunk Jou. Soon, Yugi came out of the pool and ran over to Aqua. "Come on, Aqua! Come play a game with us!" he said happily. Aqua chuckled softly and got up to follow him over to the pool and dived in. Jou saw this and pouted.

"No fair! You can't use demon strength in the game!" Jou said. But before he could react, he was dragged underwater with a yelp and Aqua poked his head out from the depths. "Who says you need demon strength when you can just sneak on someone unsuspectingly?" he said with a laugh.

The others laughed as well as Jou came back up, still pouting. "Ha ha, very funny." he said. They played in the pool for a while longer before they all got out and went to get dressed before heading out into the main park. Zella, Honda and Jou went to ride on some park rides while Yugi decided to stay with Yami and Aqua.

After a few rollercoaster rides, they took a small break at a snack stand, not eating much since they still had their planned picnic at the Domino City park. After a few more rides, dragging Yami and Aqua onto one rollercoaster and surprisingly, they enjoyed it, they left the park and headed for the beach.

Again, Jou, Zella and Honda jumped into the water for another round of seeing who can dunk the other underwater. Yami conjured up a large umbrella for them to use and both Ryou and Keara sat in the cool shade, talking with one another since this was the first time they met. Aqua sat under the umbrella as well while Yami and Yugi joined the others in the water, playing various games until it started getting close to noon so they decided to leave the beach for today and head over the the arcade.

They played a few games there, many little kids gathering around to see Yugi get a high score in just about every game he played before they left for the park to have their small picnic.

As they were nearing the park, Jou had a grin plastered on his face and he looked to the others. "Last one there is a rotten egg!" he said joyfully before running off. "Hey! No fair!" Zella said just as joyfully as she and Honda started for Jou's retreating form. Yugi laughed softly as he watched them run off before looking up to Aqua, his question being shown through his eyes.

He looked down to him before smiling and standing on all fours, Yugi jumping onto his back and he ran off towards his racing friends. He laughed more as Aqua came by them, each giving a surprised look before they tried to catch up with him.

When Aqua stopped at an open field with a large tree for shade, Yugi climbed off his back and grinned as they stopped, panting hard. "Guess I won." he said with an even bigger grin. "That's just because you got a free ride." Jou said playfully before running over, tackling him down with a laugh. Honda and Zella, after placing the basket of food that she prepared for their picnic down in the shade, they joined in the fun, rolling around in the grass like playful puppies, each trying to outdo the other. Diamond, Yami, Ryou and Keara soon arrive and smiled as seeing them.

"At least I'm happy to have a day where we can have fun and not worry about anything life threatening to us." Yami said as he saw Aqua lay out the blanket and they went over to sit down. Ryou lowered his head, remembering the last bout of danger that they got into. "We're really sorry for what our dark sides got you and the others into.

"If I could, I would've had control over the situation but he's just too strong. Even Diamond couldn't fight the spirit inside her pendant from controlling her. After that, I still think we don't even deserve to have your friendship." Ryou whispered softly, taking the crystal heart into his hand and looked down to it.

Yami looked to him and placed a hand upon his shoulder. "Ryou, remember, it wasn't your fault and it wasn't Diamond's fault that you both couldn't hold them back. They're demons and it's hard to suppress demons from trying anything. It was easy for Yugi when it came to us since we would grant him any wish he desired.

"But Bakura and Crimson, they grant you both wishes but in a brutal way and with the freedom they get by sealing you two away leaves them to have chances to gain souls and enough will give them the chance to grant them a body." Yami explained and Ryou shivered at the thought.

_'I can't let him be free. There's was something eerie about the way he speaks to me. Like he wants me more than a master to him.'_ Ryou thought. "But, how can we get rid of them? Should we throw away the Ring and Gem?" he asked. "That may work but if they're desperate to keep you as their hosts, the Ring and Gem may find its way back to you two but as long as you don't wear them, that will keep them within the items and prevent them from possessing you and Diamond again." Aqua spoke, looking to him. Ryou nodded before looking back towards the others who were still playing games before getting up to join them.

After a while, they stopped their fun and came over to the blanket to eat and talked about random things that come to mind. Yugi snuggled up close to Aqua, making him smile as he curled his tail around his waist.

Once they finished, they all relaxed, enjoying the day before the sun started to set and they all decided that it was time to head home. They packed everything away and stopped at the entrance to the park, looking to one another. "Well, all in all, today was a great day." Jou said as he looked to them. "Yeah, nothing to worry about and just pure fun for all of us." Zella added with a smile. "After everything we've been through, you never think we would have days like this again." Honda whispered.

"But we won't let that happen. You all deserve to have fun, not be put into danger and we will try our best to prevent that. You stick with us through thick and thin and we repay that by taking care of the problem so days like these can happen." Aqua said before looking down slightly. "We could never enjoy days like these in the past and with us having a new start at life again, we want to have the chance to make up for many millenia of lost time."

"And we're going to make sure you have fun! You may be demons but that doesn't mean you can't have fun once in a while! No matter what, we will stick by your side and defeat whatever threatens people and along with that, give you the chance to have fun and make new friends!" Jou said proudly and Aqua looked up to him with a smile. Yami smiled as well. "And we thank you all for that." Yami whispered before they all parted ways and Yami, Keara, Yugi and Aqua started making their way back to the shop.

As they arrived, the headed inside and Keara decided to prepare dinner for them. Yugi headed upstairs with Yami and Aqua following and he laid down on his bed with a happy sigh, Yami coming to sit beside him. "I'm glad we was able to spend this day together with all my friends and with you two. This was a perfect day to just relax and forget about what happened in the past." Yugi said as he looked to Yami.

"I'm happy to have this day of relaxation as well. But soon, danger may come again and we have to be prepared for it. We would hate to drag you into it but I know that we can't leave you in the dark with anything." Yami said.

Yugi sat back up and wrapped his arms around him. "I know you don't want me to get hurt but I can't leave you nor Aqua to face anything alone. I pledge my love to you both and I will never dare to leave your sides. I never want to and I'm not going to have petty dangers keep me from being there for you both. Our souls are one and I'm not going to let anything break that bond we share." Yugi said and Yami smiled as he leaned down to place a soft kiss upon Yugi's lips.

"Thank you, Yugi. Not for freeing us from our prison but for giving us the love we always wanted. No one could hold a place in my heart like you do."

"And no one could complete me like you do. The both of you. I will never leave either of you..." Yugi whispered.

_Never..._

0

Zypher: And that's it! The end! Finito! Owari and other translations of End! I will miss this story since it was fun to write but you all know a sequel is in the making and it shall be up soon. Probably tomorrow at the most. There shall be just one more chapter for this and that's another epilogue going into a bit about Bakura and Crimson's thoughts and plans with trying to free themselves from their items again which may stem out from the ending of the Last Die Roll chapter so keep a eye out for that but all in all, this is the true ending of Yami no Game and I'm glad you all enjoyed it so much. Time to say goodbye for now but I'll be back with the sequel soon enough. See you all later.


	42. Epilogue 2: Bakura and Crimson

Zypher: As promised, here's the other epilogue. It may be shorter than the first but I know you'll all love it either way. Enjoy.

0

Yami no Game

Epilogue

0

Bakura growled as he paced through his soul room. "Those two will pay for what they did. I was so close and they ruined it!" he hissed. Crimson came in, their items both connected in a mysterious way so both could enter each other's soul rooms, and looked to him. "Bakura, don't get so angry about it..." he said and Bakura turned to him with a glare.

"Why shouldn't I be angry! Thanks to those demons of the Sennen Puzzle, not only did we lose the chance to gain said item but now, we're trapped here with no way out unless our masters place the Ring and Gem back on and what are the possible chances of that happening!" he hissed.

"You never know. We know they won't put the Sennen Gem or Ring on but we can still speak to them while in here. It will only be a while of coaxing before they place the items back on and then we'll gain the souls we need to grant us a body and claim what we desire ever since the last fool who place on the Ring and was rejected." Crimson explained and Bakura smirked. "Yes, I remember that and it was oh so interesting to watch. I will always have a good laugh everytime I think of that memory." Bakura said.

Crimson chuckled darkly. "Yeah, the fool didn't know what he was getting himself into when he stole the Ring that day." Crimson spoke before he switched the subject. "But enough about that. What are we going to do to gain our masters' trust? Like I said before, for us, it will take a lot of coaxing and knowing you, you may somehow trick him into placing it back on for it would help him out of some sort of danger that Yami and Aqua can't figure out." Bakura grinned. "That's the plan on my part."

Crimson sighed. "You're helpless."

Bakura glares at him. "Am not!"

"Are too."

"Am not!"

"Are too."

"Am not!" Bakura charged and tackles him down to the floor. They got into a scuffle and Crimson won, grinning as he sat on top of the other demon. "I hate you sometimes." Bakura mumbled. "I know you do. But seriously, we need to think of a way to have them place the items back on again so we can devour enough souls to gain a body so we can finally have them as a koibito." Crimson said. "Easy, just coax them like you said and it won't be long before they would desire our help to get them out of some sort of situation that would help them, and their friends if they happen to be in the same place at the same time." Bakura answered.

"Do you think that would actually work? They know what we do and the chances that they possibly would throw away the Ring and Gem is a bit possible." Crimson said, pondering the thought. "Well, if they try, they will never suspect the items to come back to them. I'm not going to lose Ryou to no one and whoever does try to get closer to him other than friends will die by my hands." Bakura hissed before turning his head as much as he could since Crimson was still sitting on his back. "And will you get off me!"

Crimson laughed as he jumped off. "Well, either way, I'm sure we can think of something else. If not, we'll go with the coaxing. I want to be with Diamond more than you want to be with Ryou and I'm not going to waste any spare seconds in here with a dumbbell like you." Bakura growled as he got up and looked to him.

"Who're you calling a dumbbell?"

"I'm calling you one."

"Don't start with me."

"Or what? You're gonna attack me again?"

"Yes!" Bakura tackles him again and they got into another scuffle and again, Crimson was victor. "Man, in the past you were the greatest thief and I was second to you. Now we're demons in the present and I am the greatest fighter with you second to me. What a turn of events." Crimson said with a little grin.

"You're so lucky we're friends or I'll probably would've killed you by now for being an 8 on the annoyance scale." Bakura muttered as Crimson climbed off him again and helped him up. "I'll let bygones be bygones as long as we can succeed with getting out these items and getting our future mates." Crimson said before leaving the Ring and heading back to his own item.

Bakura watched as he left before snorting as he walked over the to bed that materialized in his soul room and laid down. _'Hopefully I can receive your love. It may be a tedious task since I know you despise me for what I almost did to your new friends and what I have done in the past. If you can forgive me, Ryou, I will grant your deepest desires with every inch of my demon power.'_ he thought before he decided it was time for some well deserve sleep since it would be a long while before he would be released again.

0

Zypher: And that's it for this extremely short epilogue. I can safely say that most of what they talked about in this is actually many hints to what will happen in the sequel when it comes to them. Anyways, hoped you enjoyed this last epilogue and I shall get started with the sequel. See you all later.


End file.
